Butterfly Kisses
by mafuyu hotaru
Summary: AU: present day Japan. BattousaiKaoru. To learn what this story is about, you’ll just have to read it. NYAH! or look at my profile.
1. chapter 1

Date started: December 27, 2004

Hello lovely readers! Welcome to this story of romance, angst, horror, and darkness. I am going to take precious time in making sure that this story goes well. I hope that I fix all grammatical errors, as well as spelling, to the best of my ability, as it will hopefully make your possible enjoyment even better. I have altered the ages of some characters slightly, so do not take it to heart. If you find any errors that you feel need be fixed, don't be afraid to ask it of me. I accept all criticism, as well as praise. Now, I hope you enjoy, and relax, while you read Butterfly Kisses.

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Butterfly Kisses

By: Hotaru

Rating: R; for language, gore, and some adult material

Standard Disclaimer:

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin in any way whatsoever. I do, however, own any characters that I may introduce as my own, and this plot line. If I catch you stealing it, you grovel at my feet and beg forgiveness, or die.

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**Chapter 1**

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She sat huddled up in a corner of the dark ally way, head in between her knees, trembling. Her hands covered her raven head, as though she were trying to protect herself from some unseen force. One hand bore a deep gash that started at the top of her hand, and ran down her arm about four of five inches. It was bleeding freely, and if not stopped soon, she could possibly suffer anemia. It seemed as though the girl did not even feel the pain which it probably inflicted. 

A young boy of about fifteen, with spiked up hair, ran into the ally way, out of breath, "Kaoru!" He exclaimed anxiously, and speed towards the still shaking form of his sister-figure. He noticed her injured arm, "Damnit Kaoru! What the hell did they do to you this time!" He angrily spat out.

The young woman lifted up her head, as he gingerly handled her unusable limb, her deep sapphire eyes were filled with tears, "Yahiko…" she quietly whispered. He took into notice that her clothing was extremely disheveled, her top soaked in blood. Her hair, which was un-usually down was disheveled as well. She spoke again frantically, "Yahiko… I have to get away! I can't do this… anymore…"

Yahiko had already begun to busy himself with attending her hand, wrapping it up with some cloth he had torn off his shirt, "Kaoru. You have to tell me what they did! We can't just let it go."

"I have to… get out." It was quite obvious that talking to the disoriented girl was useless. As soon as Yahiko finished wrapping up her hand to the best of his ability, he took off his shirt, and tied the loose cloth firmly around her waist, to stop any severe bleeding, for he suspected the gash on her arm was not the only injury.

He gingerly picked up the now unconscious girl, careful not to shift her body to much, '_What did they do to you!_' He set aside that thought, for there were too many things that the men could have done. Now, he was more concerned with getting his mentor to Megumi.

Stepping out of the ally, he looked left and right, making sure the coast was clear. Hurriedly, he ran down the street, adrenaline flowing,and after several minutes reached a building. Yahiko did not want to bring to much attention to themselves, so he quickly entered. When he entered, he noticed the room was empty except for one with dark hair and brown eyes, "Megumi-san!"

She turned immediately towards him, and let out a slight gasp, "Oh my god…" Rushing up to Yahiko, she stared down at Kaoru's still form, her pale face, "Quickly! Follow me…" She shouted out, "GENZAI-SAMA!" Yahiko followed Megumi into a room, with a bed, and chair. There was a window, with blinds covering it. The female doctor stated, "Place her on the bed. Then I'll need to ask you to leave the room until I come and get you. She grabbed a folded blanket off a small shelf, "Here."

He stared at her blankly, "For you incase you get cold." The teen looked down and remembered he no longer was wearing a shirt, "Oh…" He quickly grabbed the soft blanket, and then argued, "But I want to stay in here with her."

"Iie. Yahiko, we need to get things done as fast as we can. You might get in the way." The doctor slightly pushed him out of the room, "She'll be ok." Just at that moment, Dr. Genzai came into the room, then Megumi smartly shut the door in Yahiko's face.

"Damnit!" He murmured under his breath, "Kaoru, you better not leave on me!" He kicked the wall in frustration and turned to sit down on a bench right in front of the room she was in.

He was, by now, thoroughly pissed off, not only at the doctors for not letting him stay with Kaoru, but at the men who had hurt her. He had had enough of it. No one messed with his only family and got away with it.

He knew, however, that he was no match for men of the Juppongatana. They were far bigger and stronger than him. All Yahiko could do was hope that Kaoru got out of this without severe damage, and then try his best to keep the men away from her, again.

Thinking back to when the Juppongatana had just come into power, he remembered that one of the first things that happened was that five men came to the apartment, demanding that Kaoru come with them, and see their "almighty"leader, Shishio.

Kaoru immediately refused, stating that she would not go meet some strange man she knew nothing about; especially if she was to be escorted by five men she knew nothing of either. She promptly slammed the door in their faces, and the unrelenting torment thus began.

They followed her on the streets, watched her at work, never letting her have a moments peace. When they still had no for an answer, they had started becoming physical. A little over a month ago, their threat had become real: "_Come nicely, or we'll force you._" They caught her several times, yet she escaped, but not without some cuts or bruises.

Yahiko had been looking for her for three days now. She had not come home, and he became desperate, searching the streets, forgetting about school and eating or sleeping. The police were no help. Finally, he had found her, in that ally way, blood soaked.**

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**

"Battousai." A male voice came in the darkness. A low grunt of acknowledgement answered, "We need you to retrieve someone."

The deep voice of a man answered unemotionally, "No one to kill tonight?" Some last minute sunlight pierced into the darkened room, reflecting off something metal.

"Kamiya Kaoru. She has been chased by the Juppongatana for the past two years. She has been caught several times, but escaped. She was again captured three days ago, and she has just barely escaped with her life. Find her, and bring her here. Kill any, and all, who oppose you."

"Hai." A glint of amber flashed as the last rays of the sun left the room. The brief sound of movement was heard, and then theslam of a door.

The first voice spoke, "We will figure out what it is they want so dearly from you Kamiya… and use it against them."**

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**

"Ko…" a voice entered his sleep filled mind, "Yahiko." It was Megumi's voice. He groggily thought, "_Go away_." However, she didn't, and Megumi continued pestering him, until he was fully awake.

"Yahiko, we finished up. She suffered some severe blood loss… but it looks like she's going to be fine. She had several severe cuts along the torso and back, not to mention her hand, but we stitched it all up. She is still asleep." She paused briefly to stare at the young man sitting with a blanket wrapped around him, and then asked, "Do you know what happened?"

He shook his spiky head, "Iie. She went missing three days ago… and I found her in the corner of the alley way, trembling, and crying. All she would say was that she had to get out… get away, before she passed out."

"She's been missing three days! Why the hell didn't you go to the police!" Megumi angrily asked.

He bitterly replied, "The police are of no help these days, and you know it." Megumi's brown eyes softened, and she nodded, "Right… well, you can go in her room now. Stay as long as you like. Don't worry about the whole visiting hours thing either."

Yahiko nodded, and then went into the room Kaoru had been placed earlier. The young woman slept in the bed, her face still pale, but definately more flushed than earlier. He sat down in the chair next to the bed, "Kaoru... come on, wake up." He whispered to her. No reply. He sat back in the chair, and let out a sigh. She wasn't hooked up to an I.V. or anything, but still, seeing her in a hospital bed was unnerving.

"DAMNIT KAORU!" He shouted exasperated, "How could you let them do this to you!" He slammed his fist on the arm rest.

He heard a slight moan, and saw her stir, '_I didn't think that would actually wake her up…_' Yahiko leaned forward, "Kaoru…" he spoke.

Slowly, she opened up her blue eyes. It took her a moment to focus, "Yahiko…" She whispered in a barely audible tone, "I need to… get home… away from…" She closed her eyes.

"Away from who?" He asked her with brotherly concern.

She opened up her eyes, and they were now tear filled, "Them."

"Look, don't think about that right now. You need to get better, fast. Then we can leave if you want."

Gradually, she began talking more like her normal self, without the whisper or stalling, "No… I need to leave now." She tried to sit up, and let out a little gasp of pain. Yahiko said, "You get back into bed. You are not getting up for at least three days!" She nodded, "You're safe here anyway. It's the hospital. Go back to sleep." He stubbornly added.

Kaoru nodded, her eyes becoming brighter for a moment, and then she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.**

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**

After a week of the hospital, Megumi deemed Kaoru fit to go home. The stitches had been removed, but Kaoru's torso and arm was still bandaged. Megumi gave Yahiko strict orders to make sure she didn't do too much. He of course, agreed.

Kaoru demanded that they walk home, seeing as their apartment was only five blocks away, and she wanted to move around. Yahiko had reluctantly agreed. The walk so far had been uneventful, however, it was getting dark by the time they reached the parking garage for their apartment complex. It was the fastest way to get to their apartment.

Yahiko suddenly sensed that they were not alone. Kaoru didn't seem to notice it, for she was concentrating on her steps. She was getting tired, even though she would never admit it. Yahiko whispered to Kaoru, "Hey, Kaoru, get to the stairs, fast!"

She gave him a look of curiosity, which was quickly broken, as she was suddenly tumbled to the ground by Yahiko's body as a gun shot rang out. "No." She gasped, as she thought of who it was. She didn't want to remember what had happened a little over a week ago.

"Yahiko." She whispered frantically, she received no reply, "Yahiko!" She pushed his body off of hers and rolled it over. He was semi-conscious, "Kaoru…" he whispered, "I'm… I'm sorry. Get out of here." He then passed out.

"NO!" She cried out, as she saw a pool of blood form under his body. "NO! God Damnit! Anyone but him!" She ignored the nawing pain of her own wounds, that was quickly taking over her body.

"Maybe you'll come with us now." A sneering voice whispered into her ear. She froze in fear, "Seeing as your only family is gone, why not come and join us…" He ran a large hand down her arm, "Or… we could do it the hard way, and I can enjoy that body of yours again."

She shyed away from his touch, and backed up against the wall, as four other men joined the first. They quickly surrounded her, '_Damnit Kaoru… smart one. You're getting yourself caught again because of your fear!_' She swallowed as she looked around for a means of escape, "Leave me alone bastard!" She spat out as they closed in on her like a pack of wolves.

The first man was in front of her now, and grasped her tightly around her bandaged wrist. Kaoru let out a gasp of pain, winced, and blinked back the tears, "Leave me alone!" She desperately said to her own disgust. He slapped her across the face, his dark, evil eyes flashing, "I don't think so." She let out a scream of protest as he pulled her body to his, "NO god damnit! Stop it!"

Just as she was thinking, '_Kill me now…_' as the man continued his assault on her helpless, injured body, a dark, menacing voice rang out, "Leave the girl alone."

All five men stopped moving, the first stopping his assault, and turned to face the voice. A man with blood red hair and cold, amber eyes, stood before them. He had drawn a sword, and it glinted dangerously in the light of the garage. The first guy, who obviously was the leader retorted, "And if we don't leave the bitch alone, what will YOU do about it?"

The man's voice remained the same, "You can leave her alone, and give her to me, or, you can die now in cold blood." Kaoru was still in the painful grasp of her attacker, but her fear was no longer as great. She stared at the sword bearer in awe.

One of the other men, a man with greasy black hair, sneered, "And how to you plan on killing us? With a wimpy sword, against guns?" He pulled his gun out and aimed for the deadly red head.

"That is exactly how I plan on killing you, with my katana." He evenly said, his tone always remaining the same. His amber eyes flashed, just as the other pulled the trigger. The bullet was heard, pinging off a wall. Unexpectedly, blood poured out of the gunman's body. The red head stood behind the now dying man, his sword dripping with blood, "Now, release the girl, and your lives will be spared." He turned to face the leader, "For now."

Kaoru had her blue eyes focused on the one whom had just killed one of her enemies. She was slammed against the wall, hard, by her attacker. She cried out in pain. He was now facing the red head, "You. You are the legendary Battousai are you not? The deadly assassin who kills with a sword."

His amber eyes glared at him, "That I am. Now, I will kill you and your men, for ill treating a woman so." In the flash of an eye, the remaining four men were on the ground, dying in their blood. Kaoru had slid to the floor, overcome with fear and pain. Yes, the one called Battousai had saved her, but he was an assassin, the most deadly assassin in Japan at that.

After he flung the blood off his sword, and placed it back in his sheath, he turned towards her, "It is alright. You are safe, and will be coming with me."

"No." Kaoru shakily whispered, and attempted to stand up, pushing herself up with her hands on the wall, "Stay away from me. I am sick of people telling me..." She took in a deep breath, while gasping in pain at the same time, "That I am supposed to go with them." She fell back to the floor, her attempts to stand futile. He stepped forward, and tried to calm her down, "It's alright. I am not going to hurt you. I am not from the Juppongatana if that is what you are worried about."

'_What is with this girl... she just needs to come with me._' He thought in irritation, "Look, I will take you somewhere where they won't bother you. You will be safe from them." His amber eyes no longer were cold and menacing. They were unemotional, yet warm, if it were possible. He leaned down to pick her up in her arms. Kaoru protested at first, but her sight suddenly landed on Yahiko.

"YAHIKO!" She shouted, "Let me down! We have to save Yahiko!" Screams of grief filled Battousai's ears. He refused to let her down, knowing that she would just become more grief stricken.

"No, we have to leave now. This place won't be deserted forever." And with that, he carried the crying girl towards a car, and placed her in the back seat, to wallow in her misery.

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To be continued…**

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A/N: Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It is only the beginning of a dark journey for revenge. The next chapter will be out soon, so please, be patient. Leave me your thoughts.

Date Finished: December 31, 2004


	2. chapter 2

Date started: January 1, 2005

Hello readers! Thank you very much for the reviews, I greatly appreciate them. Do not worry; Kaoru will not be rendered useless much longer. It's just that I needed to start the story that way. Things will begin to make more sense as the story goes along. I tend to bring things out slowly, hoping to make a reader wanting more. Now, I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

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Butterfly Kisses

By: Hotaru

Rating: R; for language, gore, and some adult material

Standard Disclaimer:

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin in any way whatsoever. I do, however, own any characters that I may introduce as my own, and this plot line. If I catch you stealing it, you grovel at my feet and beg forgiveness, or die.

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**Chapter 2**

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**

Kaoru lay in the back seat, across the leather cushions of the car spaced out completely. The car had been in motion for about an hour now, and she had gone into this state of mind after about half an hour. Her eyes were now dry, the tears having stopped. The sapphire orbs were no longer filled with grief, but with anger, and hate, obviously for the men whom had killed the only person she could consider her family.

Her so called "rescuer," was concentrated completely on the road. He had not spoken a word to her, nor she to him. "_How could he just leave Yahiko like that!_" she thought angrily. Her wounds were still throbbing from the earlier events, but she ignored it. She didn't care that they could be bleeding. Her only thoughts were of the one whom had started it all. The one named "Shishio." The leader of the Juppongatana, of Japan, and the one she would now find of her own free will, and destroy.

She would not take sides. Nothing would stop her from avenging Yahiko's death. Nothing.

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He sat at the wheel, concentrated on the road, while on the back seat as well. Battousai noticed she had stopped crying, and had since then, not uttered a sound. Shutting his fierce, amber eyes momentarily, he noticed her ki was flaring dangerously bright with anger and hatred.

"_She definitely needs to calm down... with that much ki..._" He let his thoughts wander as he concentrated on the road, "_She's probably not even aware of it, or of how to control it._"

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**

"Well?" A raspy voice asked.

A short, stocky man, with a lime green mohawk and biker gear, answered coolly, "HE showed up, and killed all five of them and took the girl. The boy was killed by a gun shot."

"WHAT! Why would they want her! They don't even know what she is!" A man stepped forward, wearing traditional garb, his face and hands laced with bandaging.

"Shishio-sama, I don't know why exactly Battousai took her. But all I know is that it is going to be a hell of a lot harder to get her now that she's in their hands... it was already hard to begin wi-"

"Don't start." Shishio cut in, "We will have to figure out another way to get her. Get out of my sight."

The biker bowed respectfully, and immediately left.

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**

The car jerked to a stop. Kaoru lay as she had been for the entire four hour drive. It was nearing two in the morning, and she had fallen asleep, and remained asleep as Battousai came around and lifted her out of the car.

He carried her towards a tall building. Entering through a side door, he carried her upstairs, and ended at the top floor. Walking down the hall, Battousai took no notice of the richly carved doors, or the fine rugs along the hallway. He stared down to the endof the hallway at one solitary door. Upon reaching it, he knocked once. "Come in."

The red head went into the dark room, lit only by a dim lamp, and placed the sleeping girl on a chair and shook her, "Wake up." The shadow of a person could be made out in another chair, but no features. After several more tries, there was success in awakening Kaoru.

Amber eyes flashed over to the figure, "I brought her like you asked."

Kaoru sat glaring into nothingness. Battousai noticed her ki flare again, even more powerful than the first time.

The shadowy man spoke up, "Thank you Battousai." He then directed his conversation to Kaoru, "Kamiya-san, I know things might be confusing right now, but it will all make sense soon."

Her blue eyes leered over to the speaker, flickering with anger, "Oh really?" She sarcastically said, "Like things aren't already confusing? I have been chased for two years, and then captured several times, most recently barely escaping with my life. And now, the only person I considered family has been killed. So, tell me, why shouldn't, things make sense, when all this has happened for some unknown reason."

Battousai was shifting his gaze from the two, back and forth; the cool and collected man, and then the fiery, angry young woman.

"We can remedy your questions, if you will answer ours."

She smartly countered, "I wouldn't be able to answer your questions, because I don't have any answers." Kaoru was starting take note of the pain in her body, but she did not show it on her face, "My only concern right now, is to get these damned wounds healed, and find Shishio. I will avenge Yahiko's death." Her sapphire eyes were darker than normal.

Battousai noticed the already powerful ki spread even more, becoming so strong he could feel it's presence like the wind, almost see it emanating off her body. He decided to speak, "Perhaps it would be better to talk another day, when Kamiya-san is not so tired."

The man noticed a slight tone of warning in the assassin's voice, and nodded, "I agree, how about a few days?"

Kaoru let out a sigh of relief, "FINALLY! Maybe I can GO HOME." She emphasized the last two words. She was still glaring, but not so coldly, as she was glad to be able to leave the room.

"I think not Kamiya-san. You shall stay with Kenshin." Kenshin took a slight step forward of surprise, and Kaoru nearly leaped out of her seat, but was stopped by a groan of pain, and the grasping of her side, "Kenshin, make sure her wounds are tended." With that, the shadowed man stood and left the room.

The assassin was staring at the gasping Kaoru. He walked in front of her, and she looked up angrily into his piercing, golden eyes, "I will not stay with you!" He leaned down in an attempt to pick her up, but she recoiled, trying to get out of his reach. She met the back of her chair. Kenshin let out a sigh, and stood back up, "Look-"

"I can walk by myself. I will NOT be treated like a wimpy child." Kaoru then slowly stood up, she braced herself slightly on the back of the chair, and she started walking surely. She went to the door, and opened it. Before exiting, she turned to Battousai, and coolly stated, "Well, if I am going to be forced to stay with you, I presume you know where you are going to be taking me."

Kenshin flashed his amber eyes towards her, and then quickly exited the room, "Follow me." Kaoru looked at him strangely, and followed him as fast as she could to an elevator. The ride was silent, as it had been in the car. When they reached the tenth floor, they left the elevator, and the assassin led her down the hall, until they stood in front of one of the doorways. Kaoru was out of breath and panting heavily. She leaned against the wall, and let out a sigh.

Battousai noticed that once they were out of the room with his boss, and she was now down here, her ki's radiation greatly decreased, "_Good... she won't be so vulnerable to predators if she keeps it low like that._" Taking out a set of keys, he unlocked the door, and then grabbed Kaoru's upper arm and pulled her in.

After he flicked on the lights, Kaoru immediately pulled away from his grasp, and turned to stare at the room. It had a couch with a fireplace in front of it, unlit. There were no major decorations in the room, only a place in the far corner which looked like something to rest a gun or, "_a katana,_" she thought. There was a small kitchen to her left, nothing fancy, and a small table. She noticed a small hallway and saw two doors. Kaoru did her best to keep her face emotionless; not letting him know that she thought the apartment was grand. The man walked past her and into the kitchen. He looked in some cabinets for something. Kaoru continued looking around the room and spotted a window. Stepping over towards it, she peeped through the blinds in an attempt to see if there were any ledges or fire escapes nearby

"Don't even think about it," came the cool voice of her now captor. She turned to stare him down, unflinching, "How do you know what I think? I may have just been looking out at the city. It's not like you can read people's minds."

"And if I could, what would you do?" Kenshin smiled coyly, waiting for her reply. None came and he continued, "I can not read your thoughts, but your actions revealed your intentions. If you intend on getting to Shishio, then you better learn to be more secretive and controlling."

"Secretive? Controlling? Damn you, I can fight for myself, I don't need assistance." Kaoru retorted angrily. She hated it when men misjudged her just because she was a girl.

Battousai stepped out of the kitchen with bandages in hand, "Not in the state you are in." He gestured towards the couch, "Sit."

"I will do what I please."

"No. You will sit, and that is that." He glared dangerously towards her. Kaoru decided she better do as told, and did so. He finally removed his long black coat, and placed his swords where Kaoru had presumed they would go. Then, he came over and said, "Where are all your wounds?"

"My arm and... umm, my upper body." Kaoru flushed bright red, "You know, I will do it myself." She reached for the bandages where Battousai had placed them, but he stopped her by grabbing them first. He shook his head, "No. My master told me to take care of your wounds, and I will do so." She flushed even brighter red, more so in anger than embarrassment.

"Damnit, no! Have you no sense of decency!" She stood up angrily, and ignored the sharp pain of rising so fast, "Hand me those!" She pointed at the bandages, "And where's the bathroom?" She demanded. Kenshin sensed her ki flare up again, and decided not to argue, wanting it to go back down to normal. He handed her the bandages, and said, "The first door."

Kaoru stormed off towards the room he directed, and was quickly greeted by the slamming of the door. Kenshin sat on the couch and took an intake of breath, "_This girl is going to be a pain..._" He concentrated on her radiating self. Steadily, her ki rose again, this time because of hatred, "_That, is the first thing I'm going to do... teach her to gain control of her ki._"

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The teen looked at herself in the mirror. She looked a mess, and to add to it, she was exhausted from exertion and the time. Quickly, she unraveled the bandage on her arm, and looked at the gash. It was bleeding slightly; however, she quickly bandaged it, not wanting to remember what had caused it.She took off her shirt and swiftly re-bandaged her torso, with slight difficulty.Putting her shirt back on, she took her hair down out of its high ponytail, and then tried to brush through it with her fingers. After the failed attempt, she just resorted to putting it up in a bun. While she was doing all of this, her thoughts concentrated on one thing: how she would get to the leader of Japan, Shishio, and destroy him. She would get revenge for the trouble she had been given the past two years, and most of all: Yahiko.

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**To be continued...**

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Well, this chapter was not as dramatic as the first, but perhaps more informative? More will be revealed in the next chapter. Another thing, Shishio is the only person who knows what it is that Kaoru possesses. It shall all be revealed in time, maybe in a few more chapters. I go back to school tomorrow, so I won't have a lot of time to write, so don't kill me. Anyway, until next time.

Date finished: January 3, 2005


	3. chapter 3

Date started: January 5, 2005

Thank you again readers for your lovely thoughts. I appreciate the small criticism as well as praise. I hope everyone had a happy New Year. This chapter probably will take a few weeks to get out, because I am loaded down already, after one day, with homework. I do hope that at the end of the chapter, you are satisfied. I will try to make it longer than the others, because of the wait. So please, RR during this chapter.

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Butterfly Kisses

By: Hotaru

Rating: R; for language, gore, and some adult material

Standard Disclaimer:

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin in any way whatsoever. I do, however, own any characters that I may introduce as my own, and this plot line. If I catch you stealing it, you grovel at my feet and beg forgiveness, or die.

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**Chapter 3

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**

The biker, who had met with Shishio earlier, was now sitting in the back of a restaurant eating with a tall, large man. They sat silently, tension on the rise, appearing to concentrate on eating. However, their thoughts were elsewhere.

One spoke barely audible, "How did Shishio react, Ryu." He continued eating.

Ryu kept his vision on his rice bowl, but responded, in the same manner as his companion, "He was caught off guard about it."

"Have you found out why they have been persistent in trying to capture her, yet?"

"Iie, Hiko-sama, I am getting closer however." Ryu set down his bowl, in sequence with Hiko. They both stood up, Hiko towering over the biker.

"I need to know. From my previous observations, she has an extremely powerful ki. She could be the one who can bring salvation from the stars, and free Japan of the Juppongatana."

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Kenshin sensed Kaoru was waking up. He had told her to sleep in his bed that night. He slept on the floor against the wall, with one leg pulled up to his chest, the way he always slept. He noticed her get out of the bed, and walk towards the door slowly, '_She's trying to get out isn't she?_' He smiled and then shook his head as he stood up. Walking down the hall, he met her at the door, just as she opened it. 

"What." She demanded sharply.

The amber eyes flashed gently, not in anger, but in amusement, "Nothing. I thought I'd better check to make sure you weren't trying to get out."

She replied with a glare and something that sounded like 'Bastard' under her breath. Kaoru walked past him and headed for the bathroom, "I'm not stupid enough to try and escape right now. I can barely fight, let alone RUN AWAY from you." She turned to look at him, "I am going to take a shower now. Would you mind giving me a clean towel?"

He took enjoyment in her attitude, "Perhaps."

She glared at him again, "For the love of god! Just give me a towel. I at least am sensible enough to bathe!"

"Oh, I bathe, that I do indeed. You were asleep I believe, when I was showering." He sharply said with slight anger. He walked past her into the bathroom and motioned for her to follow him. Kaoru merely stood at the door, "I am showing you where the towels are." Looking at him suspiciously, she stepped into the room slowly. Standing as far away from him as possible, while still remaining in the room, she watched him pull a towel out from a small cabinet on the wall, "When you are done, here's a robe you can wear." He tossed her a black yukata. The assassin walked past her and left the room.

* * *

As soon as Kaoru unwrapped her bandages, the first thing she noticed was that there were just scars left. Somehow, the wounds had healed during the night. She heard a ticking sound and looked around for the source. A clock was on the wall. It read 2:00 PM. '_Why the hell does he have a CLOCK in a bathroom!_' But nonetheless, she realized it had been nearly 12 hours since she had last checked the wounds, and they had been bleeding then, "How did that happen… when they have been there a week!" Utterly bewildered, she started the shower, letting loose steaming water. Allowing the water to run for a few minutes, and then making it cooler, she stepped into the water. 

Letting it run over her now healed body, she gave a sigh of relief, "Now, I can avenge Yahiko's death…" She opened her eyes that were now dark as the night sky. She closed them again. She began moving her hands in what appeared to be motions of the martial arts.

* * *

He sensed something bad was going to happen, as he felt her ki rise again. He decided he better go knock on the door. Battousai stood up, and headed for the bathroom. He wouldn't dare walk in on her, not wanting to know the consequences.

* * *

She was brought out of her trance as she heard loud demanding knocks on the door. Her eyes opened, and appeared to be their normal blue hue again, '_What was that?_' The knocking continued, "WHAT!" she yelled at him. 

"Don't space out like you just did!" The red head shouted through the door.

She shouted angrily back at him, "How the hell would you know what I was doing? Let alone spacing out!"

"Hurry up, and don't concentrate on your revenge right now. It will enable the enemy to find you again! You don't want that now, do you!"

"FINE! Just leave me the hell alone right now. I can't even take a shower in peace!"

"Hurry up. We have to go somewhere."

She angrily retorted, "I will take as long as I want!"

* * *

As soon as the assassin walked away from the door, the phone rang. Picking it up he yelled into the receiver, "What!" 

As voice came in a slight chuckle, "Damn Battousai, what's got you all riled up?"

"Hiko! How the hell am I supposed to live with this girl! She's a pain in the ass! What ever made you think I was the one to be responsible for her!"

"Jesus Christ, settle down man. I have news on the situation. I talked with Ryu last night. Shishio was definitely caught off guard about you capturing Kamiya-san. It was definitely a surprise. Ryu is still working on why Kamiya has been chased after for so long."

Kenshin squeezed the receiver tightly. He was still pissed about the earlier incident. That girl just had to have an attitude about everything. She didn't seem to be all that much afraid, even though she knew whom she was dealing with, "Well, I think I know some things."

Hiko answered surprised, "Really?"

"She has an extremely powerful ki, if you could not tell last night. She tends to space out every so often, and when she does, it seems as though she is taken over by something. And this only happens when she is concentrating on how she wants revenge for Yahiko."

"Well, try to get her to control the ki, or Shishio will be able to sense it. He may have already. Let's not take any risks." He then added, "Don't forget, 6:00." With that, he hung up the phone. Kenshin set the receiver down on the hook and then went in the kitchen. He figured she would be hungry, and the only way to keep her healthy was to keep her fed.

* * *

As the door to the bathroom opened, a billow of steam flowed out. Kaoru stepped into the hallway towel drying her long hair. She had put her clothes back on, not wanting to walk around in nothing but the lightweight yukata. She felt much better now, even though she was still angry with her captor. 

Kaoru walked into the main room and saw that the red head was putting food on the counter of the bar that divided the kitchen from the living room.

"Eat."

She looked suspiciously at him, "How do I know you haven't poisoned it?"

"If I had intended to kill you, you would already be dead." He stated, keeping his eyes focused on hers. He noticed they were not the shade of blue that they had been the first time he'd looked at her; they were slightly darker, and she looked paler, "If you don't want to get sick, eat. We have to go somewhere tonight."

The young woman walked towards the bar and sat in one of the tall chairs. She glanced down at the plate of food. It was a simple bowl of steamed rice and gyudon, but it smelled good. Kaoru was battling inside of her mind, and she was glad to be able to concentrate on the food and not what was going on within. She grabbed the chopsticks and began to eat.

Battousai silently watched her eat. He took notice of the way she ate, how she moved her hands, her long, smooth fingers moving the chopsticks in their quick motion. He thought, "Perfect hands… they would be perfect for controlling a weapon… a katana."

He was brought out of his thoughts by a knock on the door. Kaoru stopped eating immediately and tensed up. Kenshin walked over to where he kept his swords, and grabbed the shorter of the two. He glanced through the peephole in the doorway, and then opened it quickly, ready to strike. He was met by silence. Looking left and right he saw no one in the hallway. After a moment, he looked down, and noticed a small white envelope with a red heart sealing it on the back. Leaning down, Battousai studied it suspiciously with his now cold, amber eyes. He flipped it over, and saw to whom it was addressed: Kamiya Kaoru.

* * *

**To be continued…****

* * *

**

A/N: Whoo hoo! I finally have this damn thing typed up and out! I am soo happy. I am really sorry it took so long. I suffered about two weeks worth of writers block, and then I had school to tend to. I had the flu last week, so I decided I would finish writing this thing up, and well, I did! Anyway, thank you so much for being patient my readers. Let me know how you like it so far.

Finished: February 13, 2005


	4. chapter 4

Date Started: February 14, 2005

Wow, only one day has chapter 3 been out, and I already received three reviews! Thank you readers. I can guarantee, that if you review, I check out your stuff if it's signed. I like to know about my readers and what they write. Anyway, thank you again. It has inspired me to start this chapter already, when I SHOULD be doing make-up work for school. I had the flu last week… horrible. Anyway, I hope it doesn't take too long to write this thing and have it out. We'll know at the ending author's note. Now… how to start the chapter…

* * *

Butterfly Kisses

By: Hotaru

Rating: R; for language, gore, and some adult material

Standard Disclaimer:

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin in any way whatsoever. I do, however, own any characters that I may introduce as my own, and this plot line. If I catch you stealing it, you grovel at my feet and beg forgiveness, or die.

* * *

Chapter 4

* * *

Shishio sat in his dark room, on the hard, cold, wood floor. He was in deep meditation. He had finally figured that Hiko was trying to learn the secret. It probably wouldn't take them very long to find out what it was that Kamiya was. He concentrated even harder, as he felt around for the ki of the girl. He felt it faintly, but it was there. He snickered, "Haha… poor girl, you have no idea what you got yourself into when you refused our hospitality." He and her alone were the only ones who could understand what was in the envelope, and it would remain that way… he hoped.

* * *

The amber eyes glared hard at the envelope, like they were trying to burn right through it. He stared at it a few moments longer, before he finally went back inside and closed the door, '_should I give it to her? Maybe I should look at it first…_' Placing his black katana back in its place on the smooth rack, he turned around and noticed Kaoru looking at him with curiosity. 

He turned around and looked out the large window that allowed a lot of sunlight in now that it was daytime. Swiftly, he closed the dark, heavy curtains, turning the once bright room into a dim one. Closing his fiery eyes, Kenshin finally decided he better just give the damn thing to her. It didn't feel heavy; only a very small lump was in it. Yet, that was what worried him.

Finally deciding, he turned back around, and walked towards the girl. She looked at him strangely, "What is it?" She slid down from the tall chair next to the bar and stood in front of him. Looking up the few inches it took to, she stared into his eyes as though in a challenge, "Cat got your tongue?"

The red head returned the stare intensely and finally, instead of answering, he reached for her small hand and placed the envelope into its palm, "Open it."

Glancing at the envelope, she asked, "And why is it that you had to shut the curtains in order for me to open this? What is it anyway?" She was looking at the envelope in disgust as she noticed the heart sticker sealing it.

"I don't know. It has your damn name on it." He then moved from her and went over to the leather couch and sat down, crossing his well defined arms over his chest. He closed his eyes, concentrating on her as she moved towards the window to open the curtains a little so she could see better. He could sense everything in the room, actually, the entire floor. Putting aside everything else, he tensed himself up, preparing to react to anything that may surprise the girl. The thought suddenly hit the slayer, '_Why the hell am I so worried about the damn woman! It's not like I care if she's killed or something. Ha! Like an envelope would!_'

* * *

Kaoru looked at the envelope. She didn't like it. How could anyone know where she was? '_Maybe it's that Hiko guy?_' Tucking her index finger under the flap, she separated the sticker from the envelope and opened it. Peering inside, she found a piece of paper, and a small jewel. 

"What the…" she whispered to herself. Turning her attention to the folded paper, she pulled it out of the envelope. Unfolding the small paper, she saw a single line that read in blood red ink:

'_We know where you are and who you are with. Take this jewel as a last memento.'_

She stared at the paper several moments longer and then crumbled it up into a ball. She pulled the small, round, blood red jewel out of the envelope and stared at it long and hard. Finally, she looked up with a slightly scared face, and stared at the flaming hair of Kenshin.

He stood up, and walked into the kitchen, "Well, what is it?" He wasn't sure what to make of it. She had just frozen up when she had read the paper. Kaoru now wasn't replying to him. He set down the bowl he was now getting ready to wash and stared at her. The small amount of sunlight, now being let into the room from when she had pulled aside the curtain, framed her lithe body. She came out of her slight trance, and shook her head, "Nothing!" She then turned around, closed the curtains again, and rushed into the bedroom down the hall. He heard the door slam.

"What the hell was that all about?" He glowered. Glancing at the clock, the assassin saw it was already 3:30, '_time to leave._' As he walked towards the bedroom, he noticed that the insufferable ki was flaring again. Whatever had been in that envelope must have meant something. Without even a knock, Kenshin turned the cool, metal doorknob, and barged into the room.

Kaoru was staring out of the window. She turned immediately around to face him, and brought herself into a defensive stance, "Don't you know how to knock!" Standing up straight, she kept her fists balled up.

"We have to leave." The red head said sternly. The dark blue orbs looked him over searchingly, and then she asked, "Where are we going?"

"That is none of your concern. You will find out soon enough." He walked over to her, and grasped her wrist. He moved towards the door and she struggled, "Jesus, I can walk!" He let go of her immediately and then stopped.

"Ladies first." With that, Kaoru glared at him and walked on. Battousai simply followed, closing the bedroom door behind him. When they left the hallway, he walked over to the stand which held his treasures. He picked both of them up, and secured them at his side. Kaoru was waiting by the door, eager to leave her prison for a while. Sure it was nice, with smooth wood floors in the front, and shag rug in the bedroom, along with nice furniture, but it was all beginning to close in on her. Grabbing his final attire, the long trench coat, the captor led his captive out the door, locking it behind him.

Stuffing something swiftly into her pocket, not unnoticed by Battousai, Kaoru followed him quietly. She was no longer being distracted by words, and she began to start thinking again.

* * *

Instead of taking the elevator, the two took the stairs. Not that Kaoru disagreed with it, considering she wanted the exercise. After going down the several flights of stairs, they ended up in what looked like the back of the building. Battousai motioned for her to be quiet, and then for her to follow him. She looked at him annoyed, wanting to know why the hell she had to be quiet. Before she could speak, he placed his strong hand over her lips and glared at her furiously. 

She took a step back, and nodded, and then simply followed him around to the side of the building. He led Kaoru to a different car from the one the night before. It was black, and that was the only thing that was similar to it. This car only had two seats. It was obviously a sports car, and that was kind of appealing to Kaoru. Of course, she wouldn't let him know it, but at least she liked it.

Kenshin opened the passenger door for her and she got in. He closed the door quickly, and walked around to the driver's side. As soon as he was seated, he told her to buckle up, and he did so as well. Almost immediately after starting the engine, he paused. Kaoru glanced over at him, and saw his eyes go cold, their gold shade glinting dangerously. He swiftly reached over and pulled her down, just as gun shots rang out.

"Stay down!" He shouted to her over the ringing of the shots hitting the car, and then, keeping his head low, he put the car into gear, revved the engine, and instead of backing out, he went forward, driving the car over the sidewalk and into a side street. The shots continued incessantly. Kaoru looked up for a split second, and saw the side-view mirror shatter as it was hit by a bullet. She quickly lowered her head back down.

The gunfire didn't last more than a minute, due to the speed the trained man was driving, but Kaoru was still slightly dazed by it. After about five more minutes, Battousai stopped the car, and she thought, '_What the hell was up with that!_' And as soon as she thought it, she said it.

The assassin merely looked at her, his eyes still cold and fiercer than ever, "That, Kamiya-san, was the first attack on you by the enemy. That was why I had you be quiet, and that was why we went around through the back. If you had spoken and we had gone through the front, you would have been shot, possibly killed if that was their intent."

She got another of her annoyed looks, "Don't call me by my last name. It's beginning to bug the crap out of me." The amber eyes softened slightly, loosing their coldness, even looking amused. He merely remained quiet, and raising her hands in exasperation she cried, "What! What point is there in using formalities?"

"Would you like me to address you by Kaoru-kun, merely Kaoru?" He toyed around with the name, letting it roll smoothly out of his mouth. She fumed silently, "Whatever you please, anything but Kamiya-san."

He now had an animated look on his face, which was the first time she had seen him in such a state, "Then, Kaoru, I must ask that you not call me," He paused, and then coldly said, "Battousai."

She stared at him oddly, realizing now that he despised the name, and that he possibly had some form of a heart, and quietly she asked, leaning in, "What is it that you wish me to call you then?"

"Kenshin."

Their faces were barely an inch apart, and Kaoru could feel his breath as he spoke the name. Looking into each other's eyes, the two received a sense of calm and understanding of each other, acceptance. The moment did not last long though, and Kenshin turned away from her and concentrated on the road, "We need to go now. We are to meet Hiko." Putting the car into gear again, the black car that was now decorated from gunfire, made its way towards its destination as he drove.

Kaoru leaned back into the leather seat. She was thinking again, but this time, she was not concentrating on anger, or the strange note she had received, or even the small jewel that lay in her pocket. She was thinking about what had just passed between her and her captor. She realized that she could no longer be angry with him for something he had no control over. She could no longer hate him with the fiery passion she had barely ten minutes ago. She now wanted to know about him.

* * *

Wheew…. I finished this chapter. I don't really like it all that much. Especially towards the ending. Gaah! Please give me your criticism! I really need some. Just don't be flaming me with, "Ugg! You suck!" and that sort of stuff. Productive criticism! That is what I really desire right now. I can't seem to figure out what it is that has caused me so much trouble with this chapter. Well, then, I look forward to the criticism. However, if you actually think this chapter was good, a nice review is fine too. Sorry if the grammar was bad to. I've been having trouble making good sentences lately. But, spring break is next week, so I should be able to write some! Maybe I'll be in a better writing mode.  
Till next time,  
Misanagi 

Date finished: March 10, 2005

* * *

Another note added - March 22, 2005 -  
Sorry for the long wait everyone! I've had this thing ready since the noted date. It's like so: every time I got on the computer, I intended to upload this, and then bam! I leave my disc upstairs and am to lazy to go grab it. So my apologies. 


	5. chapter 5

Date Started: June 8, 2005

I am so sorry! I haven't touched this fiction for about… three months! I feel horrible about it, but I was caught up with finishing school, studying for finals, and then a month long writing contest that I did not finish… and yeah. But! I am back! I am making this chapter nice and long… I hope… just for you guys! I hope that this chapter is better than the last one….

* * *

Butterfly Kisses

By: Hotaru

Rating: R; for language, gore, and some adult material

Standard Disclaimer:

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin in any way whatsoever. I do, however, own any characters that I may introduce as my own, and this plot line. If I catch you stealing it, you grovel at my feet and beg forgiveness, or die.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

* * *

Cool dark eyes stared out of the window as he held back the curtains. The scene was lively outside, the sun shining brightly as it began to turn red with its setting, the bushes and few trees swaying in the light breeze that made its way through the park. Plenty of people crowded the area, walking up and down the sidewalks. Laughter rang out from small children who were playing on swings and sliding down slides. This, however, was not of Hiko's concern, as he was looking back and forth along the streets, searching. No such luck.

The building he was inside of was filled with choking smoke and the scent of booze. Many drunken men filled the room, shouting and bellowing out laughter in their drunkenness. The rooms were dimly lit, the furniture worn, the heavy curtains stained from age and beer. Scantily clad women ran about the place, taking orders, bringing out food, entertaining the men. None of this seemed to bug the large man sitting at the wooden table that shook whenever he shifted his arms off of it.

Pulling back the curtains again he scanned the street. He was very uncertain. 'Battousai should be here by now…' Allowing the curtains to bring back the blessed dimness, he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. Quick reflexes reacting, a large hand grasped the wrist of the one touching him.

"Calm down, Hiko." Recognizing the smooth voice, his eyes filled with an unseen relief, and he relaxed his body. Kenshin walked around to the other side of the table, pulling a girl along with him, a girl Hiko recognized to be Kamiya-san. She was wearing what she had been wearing the night before, when he had met her for the first time. A jacket, obviously the Battousai's, hid the blood covering her once starched, white, button down shirt. He baggy jeans didn't look so bad however. Her long black hair was in a ponytail. The red head gestured for the young woman to sit down, and then once doing so, he too sat. Hiko spoke again, "How on earth did you get in here without me realizing?"

The assassin looked up with his amber eyes, "I had to get rid of the car. We came in through the side."

Surprise appeared on Hiko's face, "Get rid of it? Why?" Kenshin bluntly said, "We were ambushed and shot at." The boss merely nodded, and got onto what the true purpose of this meeting was, "Now, down to business."

Kaoru tensed up more than she already was. She did not like the place they were in, too many drunken men. She was grateful for the protection of Kenshin, as she kept her dark blue eyes lowered, trying not to attract attention. She silently sat at the table listening to the small conversation that had begun.

The elder man spoke to her, "Kamiya-san, what is it that you received in that envelope?" She looked up in surprise at the fact that the conversation was being directed at her. Both men stared at her expectantly, Kenshin a little more so.

"Umm… well, it was a gem of sorts." She figured she might as well go along with it. They were at least not raping her, forcing her to do things she didn't want to do. Reaching into her jean pocket, she brought her fist tightly around the little red gem.

"What do you mean, 'a gem of sorts?'" Hiko continued.

The young woman hesitated, "Well, umm, it is…" She brought her fist out of her pocket and showed it to them. Tiny, blood red, and circular in shape. The dark eyes brightened, and then dulled, as Hiko tried to think of the significance of it. Kenshin simply stared at it for a few moments, and then looked away.

The head of the group broke the tension filled silence, "Do you have any idea of what this is?"

Kaoru stared down at it, and closed her fingers around the precious jewel, and brought it back into her pocket, "I… I am not sure." She lied through her teeth, disguising it with a confused voice.

"Not sure?" The red head pondered, as he stared at her hand in her pocket, as if he were burning a hold through her hand to see the jewel. He had a feeling that she was lying, as did Hiko, who doubled his question, "Are you absolutely sure? You can trust us. We are trying to help you."

She brought her head up sharply, as anger coursed through her, "Help me?" Her voice rose, "How? You lock me up with this guy making sure I don't do anything!" She stood up, not caring that the whole place had gone silent, all eyes focused on her, including drunken ones, "I was doing just fine on my own. If you hadn't attempted to 'help' I would at least be able to go about enacting some sort of revenge!" An unnatural wind blew through the room, the ground shook slightly.

Battousai tightened his grip on his weapon as he stared at the girl before him, her blood ki rising drastically. It rose to levels higher than he had ever felt, and she suddenly wrapped her arms around her, and let out a scream. By now, everyone in the building had stopped what they were doing, some people were quickly gathering their things, preparing to leave.

Releasing itself from its ponytail, her hair flew about her shoulders. The beautiful sapphire eyes clenched shut, as she began to emanate with a fiery glow. What no one saw was the gem she had just shown the two men was now imbedded in her right wrist, a small trial of blood seeping from the spot. The building shook, screams of fear went throughout the building. Then it stopped. The wind stopped blowing, the building stopped shaking, and Kaoru stopped glowing. She slumped to her seat, and would have fallen to the ground without the strong arms of her captor supporting her.

Kaoru's face held an icy pallor, as a bead of sweat rolled down her nose. The building had been cleared of nearly everyone, with the random straggler remaining, too drunk to have gone anywhere. Hiko look into Battousai's eyes, as he returned the stare, "Take her back to her home. Stay with her, and don't leave her alone ever. I don't care what she says, or how she complains, she must not be alone, it is far to dangerous. I will contact you later." Hiko then stood, his tall frame stepping away from the table, while pulling on a long jacket.

The assassin followed his bosses movements, and then looked back down at the unconscious girl in his arms. She looked so helpless, so weak, while he knew it was not so. This girl held so much power, that she could not even comprehend it, or control it. It was so strong that she had passed out, and was now in the current state she was in. The part that confused Kenshin the most, was that no one knew what this power was, or that's what he assumed.

Carefully maneuvering himself, he stood up, while making sure Kaoru didn't slip down to the ground. He then reached down and picked her small frame up, like he had just the day before, 'Now… how to get to her house unnoticed…' Quickly leaving the building, Himura headed down many alley ways, staying in the shadows, thus avoiding unwanted attention, until he made it to where she was currently residing.

* * *

"Hahaha!" Shishio laughed out as he felt the unbelievable surge of power course through his veins coinciding with the moment that Kaoru's ki had so powerfully distributed itself. The man looked down at Ryo who was sitting quietly in front of him, "Ryo! Now you see!" Reaching up a bandaged hand, the traditionally clad man swiftly unwrapped his face.

"Bakana…" A whisper of surprise escaped the biker's lips. Shishio's once mutilated, melted face, was now as it had looked years before, before the great fire that had nearly killed him. The face was perfectly normal in appearance, with the exception of a few scars. His black hair fell gently over his eyebrows, and the skin. No longer was it the melted, rubbery skin, it was the skin of a normal man.

"I can at last walk about as a normal man. You see! The power that that girl possesses… it can heal the cursed, it can restore things to how they once were…" He continued unwrapping bandages from his body, his hands, his chest, "I will have her physically so that she will be under my control, not just manipulated. For, not only can she heal… she can destroy."

* * *

He lay her down on the small couch that stood in her small, but clean, living room. Kaoru's skin had returned to it's normal color, but she was still out cold. Looking about, Kenshin took in more details of the place, becoming familiar with as much as possible. The living room was combined into a dining room and kitchen, a small bar separating the two. Soft beige carpet covered the floors, and the walls were a slightly darker color. Not much decorated the walls, but a few pictures were scattered about on the bar and low table.

Picking one up, the assassin recognized the spiky haired boy in the picture. The brown eyes were filled with laughter, more so than a younger looking Kaoru had. It was obvious that the two cared for each other like family. Sensing the woman stir, he placed the image back down where it had come from, and turned his attention back to her form. The blinds were slit open, as the quickly fading sun shone through, giving the appearance of shadowy stairs on everything. Spotting a lamp, Kenshin lit it on a dim setting, and then walked over to a cushioned chair across from her.

Looking about some more, he saw two other doors. They were simply assumed as the doors to a bedroom and bathroom, which he would look over later. The place was quite cozy, considering its plainness. Again, Kaoru moved, this time letting out a small moan. Glancing back, the red head saw her coming too, and focused his dangerous golden gaze on her.

"Holy crap…" She lifted a hand and placed it over her eyes, and continued softly talking to herself, "What the hell happened?" Moving her hand, she looked up at the ceiling, her deep blue eyes concentrating deeply, as though trying to remember. The young woman still did not notice her captor. She began to sit up, and finally, she looked over to him, "YOU!"

Kenshin closed his eyes, a small smile touching his lips, and nodded. He then looked at her again, "Yes. You wish to know what happened right?" She silently fumed, and then realized where she was.

"I'm back home…" She whispered, and then looked back at him, "Why? I thought I was to never come back here."

Standing up and walking towards her, the assassin stated, "You are to stay here, have no communications with anyone. I am to watch you at all times. After what happened in the club, we can't risk any more attempts for your capture by the enemy."

"I wouldn't let the enemy capture me again even if they had the chance." She bitterly said, "They would have to kill me first." Folding her arms over her chest, she stood up and walked towards the kitchen.

'She seems to have recovered quickly…' Kenshin thought. He followed her. Rummaging through the pantry Kaoru's muffled voice said, "Want some food?"

"Thank you, but no." A blunt refusal. Resting his hands on the edge of the wooden bar, he continued to watch her rummage about. Giving a small smile, she pulled out some rice. Turning around, she went exploring in another cabinet, and brought out a measuring cup. Pausing, she asked, "Why here though?" She headed over to the water faucet, and began to measure out water, and pour it into a simple rice steamer.

"Because this is the last place they would look. I've bolted the doors, and made sure no one can get in without my knowledge."

"Hnn.. I see." After the girl finished putting the rice in the cooker she looked about some more. Finding what she had been looking for, she pulled back her hair, and left it in a low ponytail. Now, the two were staring across at each other, sapphire meeting amber. As she reached up to grab a glass from a shelf, Kenshin saw a glint of reflection coming from her wrist. After filling up the glass with water and setting it down, he grasped her hand and pulled it towards him, wrist up.

"What is this?" He stared at the gem now imbedded there, dried up blood crusted around the now closed wound. Taking note of any expression on her face, he realized it was more shocked than confused, confusion being what he had expected from her. Brows scrunched up in slight annoyance and anger, she pulled her wrist away from him, and demanded of him, "What happened to me in that club, as you call it?"

"Your ki surged up so powerfully, that it radiated from your body like fire. You caused the wind to blow like nothing else in the building, as well as the ground to quake. Then you passed out, and all of that ceased." He again looked at the pale wrist, "It seems that gem in your arm is the result."

"Damn him!" She angrily spat out, gripping her wrist so tight her knuckles turned white. This anger was different from all the other anger he had seen from her, it wasn't an anger that overpowered her. Her blood ki powered up differently than the other times, powerful yes, but it seemed she was shielding it from something.

"Who?"

Silence reigned for close to ten minutes. The two were simply staring at each other, as darkness overcame the room, the sun finally disappearing as night was welcomed. Thunder rang out, as the earlier expected storm rolled in, and as soon as lightning flashed, it began to pour down rain. It pounded mercilessly on the windows. Lightning again came, coinciding with a clap of thunder, and the power went out, engulfing the room in darkness. The rice was forgotten, as was the water, as Kaoru formed the name, "Shishio."

* * *

**To be continued...**

* * *

Ok, I finished it! I really wanted to have this finished before I take off for Japan. I leave on June 14 which is approximately two days from now, because it is now about 5:30 PM, and I leave at 8:40 AM. So… hmm, I really hope you liked this chapter, I tried to make it long and interesting. Several things have been figured out ne? Give me your thoughts in a review or email.

P.S. I will try to work on this while I am in Japan, but I don't know how much free time I will have because of work my school in America is MAKING me do while I'm there, as well as stuff from the school I am attending there, and also the wonderful social life I hope to develop. But, I will try. 3 you my readers.

Date Finished: June 11, 2005


	6. chapter 6

Date Started: June 12, 2005

Alright… let's see if I can finish this before Tuesday. I leave America that day… and I want this chapter done with! Thank you for the reviews, they are encouraging. :D Let's see… I am hoping to get the said romance going soon… if not in this chapter, then the next for sure. I also hope to get some more action and maybe a little blood? R&R

* * *

Butterfly Kisses

By: Hotaru

Rating: R; for language, gore, and some adult material

Standard Disclaimer:

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin in any way whatsoever. I do, however, own any characters that I may introduce as my own, and this plot line. If I catch you stealing it, you grovel at my feet and beg forgiveness, or die.

* * *

"Shishio?" The simple questioning of the name escaped his smooth lips. Amber eyes becoming more steely, just as Kaoru's sapphire eyes appeared silver in the ever flashing light of the storm. The room held a serene feeling, as if the calm before the storm. Another crackle of thunder permeated the silence. Battousai sensed her move, her presence moving around the bar and heading towards what he knew was one of the doors.

It was hard to tell if she was still herself, as she left his question unanswered. The doorknob was turned, and the hinges moved. He followed her as she entered what was the bedroom, as lightning revealed a low bed, and a desk with a lamp atop. Again, framed pictures of her and the boy covered it, as well as a picture of a man with calm black eyes, black hair, a few scattered scars marring his otherwise perfect features.

Turning his attention back on the girl, the amber gaze saw her reach into a closet, and bring out a long box. She seemed to have noticed his earlier fixation on the image of the man, for she went over to the frame, picked it up while the box was wrapped in the grip of her other arm, and then looked at it momentarily. Kenshin had now adjusted to the dark and could see her perfectly clear. She looked up at him, the silver eyes flashing black, and then tossed the picture frame across the room, hitting and then shattering the window, as well as the frame that landed in shards on the floor.

"He is the one who caused all of the pain and suffering. He is the one who caused all the beatings, the rape…" She forced her again silver eyes into his contrasting golden gaze, "All the murder." Setting the wooden box on the wooden desk, she unlatched it, and then opened it up. What lay in the box made the assassin almost loose face, as he saw the blood red sheath of a katana resting in black velvet. The cloth that wrapped around its hilt was the same color. All of what had been going on for the past ten minutes continued to boggle his mind. Why the change of self? Why the silver eyes? Why the dai katana!

Kaoru lifted up the deadly weapon with her slender hands, and turned around to face him, "Shishio is going to pay for Yahiko's death." Gripping the sheath tightly, she again went to the closet and pulled out a few clothes, and headed into another room that he knew would be the bathroom. While she was in there changing, he walked over to remains of the picture she had thrown. Picking up the imaged, he studied the face again. It seemed so familiar… where had he seen it before?

When the girl emerged from the room, she was clad in a black shirt, as well as pants and a trench coat. This shocked the captor even more. So many questions were erupting in his mind, as he was witness to so many changes within the woman, "We're leaving." She bluntly stated.

"No. We are not." Kenshin countered, his amber eyes flashing in another bout of lightning. The rain was now pouring in through the broken window, but it remained ignored.

The words seemed to infuriate her even more than when Shishio had been mentioned, "Do you have ANY idea who you are dealing with?" Her voice was filled with death and cold. Her sword had been secured at her hip, and her left hand reached down for the handle, clicking it slightly out of the sheath. Again, shocking words. Her entire personality and demeanor had changed.

"I should be asking you that." He slowly walked towards her, not wanting to alarm this new being. With no knowledge of her power and skill, that could be a death blow, "Not minutes ago, we were having a pleasant conversation, and suddenly, your personality has changed Kaoru."

"I do not go by that name!" She stated bluntly, a little annoyed, "Battousai, I know who you are! You do not know me! I am Polaris, and if you challenge me, it would mean your death." They were now inches apart, no more than five, and her eyes were again black, as black as her hair.

* * *

"Aah… she is awake after so long. It is a feat that she awoke so soon…"

* * *

"Polaris?" He lowered his voice a notch, barely speaking above a whisper. Not sure how to get rid of this persona, the red head was at a loss of what to do. He had to make a decision, and make it fast. To attack her with the sword, that was expected.

* * *

Ryo was again in the room with the one called Shishio, the one who resembled the one in the picture in Kaoru's room. He was now clad in everyday clothes, having no need for loose garments so as not to hurt his once painful to touch skin, "My Polaris…"

* * *

A small laugh erupted from her crimson lips, "Yes. Polaris… I shall curse Shishio for what he did. Killing him, hurting her. Ha!" She made a small gesture of reaching up and cupping his chin, "You can either work with me… or against me." Pausing a moment to let her offer sink in, she finished, "Your call."

Getting fed up with this alter ego, the assassin made up his mind, having pondered as to what would catch her off guard. He closed the inches, and placed his hand behind her head, entwining his calloused fingers in her hair, pulling their lips together. The cold black eyes widened in surprise, staring up at his closed ones, and they flashed back to silver, and then, the girl closed her eyes.

* * *

DAMNIT!

That was what was heard throughout the entire building as Shishio punched a wall in rage. She was gone, Polaris was gone again from this world, his beauty, his healer and destroyer, his love. The damn assassin had done something to cause his beautiful miko to become buried in a deep sleep again. Barely ten minutes had she been awake, and she had been quieted once more.

* * *

The two relished in the gentle kiss a few moments longer, before sapphire blue eyes opened in fear, and she pulled away from him, shaking uncontrollably in what seemed to be fear. Turning around, she placed her hands over her lips, which burnt from the heat of his. Amber eyes stared at her back, shocked at his own actions. He had not kissed a girl in many years, and he had never expected to do so again, especially with a captive. 'At least she is back to her normal self…'

The girl then faced him, her eyes filled with a fear he had not seen from her before, "How.. why… why did you do that!" Her voice was filled with a betrayal of trust. Still brushing her fingertips over her lips, she told him, "I think you need to leave me alone for a little while."

Her captor shook his head in disagreement, "No, I was told to watch you at all times."

She was practically begging him by now, "Please! Just for a little while. You can come back in thirty minutes, but please, I need to be away from you right now." The desperate plea was all he needed, because no matter how much he knew he shouldn't relent to her request, he wanted to leave her alone as well. A simple, curt nod, and then he left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.

Kaoru fell onto her bed face down, as she became teary eyed, and then broke down, releasing it all. All of the pent up emotions flushed out of her system, if only for that small time. She cried quietly, not uttering a sound, but the tears were all that were needed. She thought too, of the kiss. The first kiss, real kiss filled with true feeling, for the first time since… since him. And truth be told, the girl had enjoyed it, despite her fear of men, a fear that had developed after so many happenings. Slowly, as she became more calm, she cried herself to sleep on her bed, as rain continued to pour in, lightning flash, and thunder crash. This time, she slept a dreamless sleep.

* * *

As soon as he closed the door, he walked over towards a window. He stared out into the storm through the blinds, trying to calm things. It was not easy. The assassin was confused as to why he had kissed her. The second she had grasped his chin, the electric shock of the heat from her skin radiating and seeping into his face, that was what had come to him as the source to get rid of this Polaris.

Battousai knew he shouldn't have, knew that he probably could have thought of something else, should have thought of something else. He had been foolish, and the trust she had just created for him earlier that day, was pretty much crushed by now, "Damn…" He scolded himself.

What was now of concern, was the alter ego Polaris. He knew he needed to call Hiko about this. Polaris had been able to shield the power of her ki, which is a feat that only the most powerful can do. And, Shishio… why had his image been placed behind a frame in her room? Why was it even there? It had to be at least three year old, as his face was what it had used to be. Kenshin was confused like he had not been in many years. Reaching into his pocket, he brought out a cell phone, which was only used by him to call Hiko when he could not use his own home phone.

He punched in the speed dial of one as the blue light emitted from the phone made his face glow eerily. The red head hoped that the reception would be as it should, that the phone met up to the standards of working anywhere in any condition. His eyes revealed a small relief as his eardrums picked up the sound of the phone ringing on the other line.

The ringing continued several more moments, when finally the boss's voice picked up, "Yes?"

"Hiko, we have a problem." Himura coolly stated. When he did not continue, the large man pondered, "Well, are you just going to sit there all day, or are you gonna tell me what has happened?"

"She has an alter ego."

Silence reigned for about a minute for the connection, as it seemed the storm was beginning to calm down. Finally, Hiko spoke, "What do you mean 'alter ego?'"

Sighing, Kenshin said, "What I said. We were talking, and the topic of Shishio came up, and I think Kamiya lost an inner battle and this other self came forth. She's dangerous, and I can't read her ki. She is trained in the arts, and has a name."

"Well?"

"Polaris."

The assassin heard an intake of breath on the other line, and then Hiko said, "I have heard that name before. We've got one deadly person here. Did you get Kamiya-san to come back to herself?"

"Yes."

"Thank god. Look, if Polaris wakes up again, she will most likely be prepared for you." Hiko continued, "How is the girl now?"

Quickly replying, the red head said, "She's asleep."

"I want to meet tomorrow at eight in the morning, at the little café downtown. Don't leave her alone, and try not to do anything to have Polaris wake up again. If she does… make sure we have her on our side. The side she's on, will inevitably be the victor. This is why Shishio has been chasing her, doing everything in his power to capture her. I think that gem she-"

Battousai cut Hiko off, "It's now imbedded in her wrist. I think it may be a control mechanism of sorts. It was from the bastard."

"Not good. Try to think of fun topics to talk about or something, keep her mind off of Yahiko, revenge, and Shishio. We'll talk tomorrow." With that, the boss hung up the phone, and the click was heard signaling the connection was closed.

Gripping the cell phone tightly, he hung up as well, and whispered, "I don't think she will talk to me." He thought, 'Things are gonna be difficult again….' He sighed, and walked back to her room, quietly entered, and sat down in a chair, watching her still form sleep.

* * *

Alright, I know it's not very long, and probably has a bunch of errors everywhere, but I thought I'd finish it to get it out before I leave! No more chapters for a little while I think… because I am not sure what my internet connections will be like while I'm in Japan. It depends on my host family and whatnot. Anyway, thanks again for reviewing you guys! I was happy when I got four or five reviews within a day! Thank you!

So what do you think of how things are going? I kind of got the Polaris idea from the ten'nyo legends and Ayashi no Ceres. It is not a crossover or anything, but I thought, a powerful being with the power to heal and destroy? Of course, a ten'nyo, even though Shishio calls her a miko. But, a miko can also be a sorceress rather than a priestess. I hope this chapter will spark a greater interest in this story.

Hotaru

Date finished: June 13, 2005


	7. chapter 7

Date Started: June 18, 2005

Well, I am now here in Japan, sitting on the short futon bed thing in my room at my host home, with a CD playing in the background. I was fortunate enough to have brought my laptop with me readers! So, during this little trip, I will be able to write, even though I may not be able to update. I only get to check my email at school, and I haven't looked to see if there are USB ports in the front of the PC box. Now, I hope you liked the last chapter. Alter egos are a part of this story yes! Two deadly women residing in one body. Hehehe… enjoy.

* * *

Butterfly Kisses

By: Hotaru

Rating: R; for language, gore, and some adult material

Standard Disclaimer:

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin in any way whatsoever. I do, however, own any characters that I may introduce as my own, and this plot line. If I catch you stealing it, you grovel at my feet and beg forgiveness, or die.

* * *

Hiko sat back in his oversized plush chair at his desk. After the updates he had received from his red haired assassin, he became extremely worried about the turn of events. His assumption about her being 'the star' were true. However, he did not realize how dangerous this little star was until just moments earlier after hanging up the phone.

"Polaris…" A low mutter escaped the man's lips. How were they supposed to get her on their side? It seemed that she would seek to kill Shishio no matter what… but, what had Battousai meant by the gem being a control mechanism? That whoever knew how to use this gem, controlled her? This was going to get very confusing. Standing up, Hiko's tall frame just inches below the ceiling, he walked towards the doorway, and quickly exited the room.

* * *

She was in a world filled with warmth and serenity. Letting a small sigh escape her pink lips, Kaoru slowly came back to reality. The woman still felt the pull of sleep, and tried to reenter the world where no problems could bother her. However, she was interrupted, again, as her shoulders were gently being shaken by warm hands. Finally, her blue eyes opened, and the silhouette of her captor was revealed, as the light surrounded him, creating a red halo affect. It took several moments for Kaoru to actually register who it was, and when she did, she shuddered, "Stop. Let go."

Knowing that she was now fully awake, the assassin removed his hands from her shoulders, "I just wanted to wake you up. No harm done alright?" When he saw the glare that flashed in her orbs, he realized what he had said, 'Damnit!'

"No harm done?" the girl sat up from the comfortable bed, her hair tangled, and the make up from the night before slightly smudged. For a moment, the captive was thought to be more beautiful than anything ever seen, "I can't believe you would actually say that!" She looked deeply wounded, and she got up off of her bed, and walked towards the bathroom. Walking past a mirror, Kaoru saw a surprising appearance with her peripheral vision. Kenshin watched her silently, contemplating.

Stopping, Kaoru turned to look at herself. She studied herself, seeming not to remember why she was dressed as she was. What made her react, however, was the sword that still remained at her side, "What?" Confusion was filled in her voice. Turning around, more confusion was seen, this time in her eyes, "What the hell happened last night!" The snap in her voice shocked the young man studying her, "I remember being in the kitchen, and then your lips locked with mine!"

Concentrating his golden gaze on the center of her forehead, the assassin was at a loss for words, "Well. I am not so sure what happened." He paused to think, trying to carefully say what he needed to, so as not to offend her even more, "We were talking. Your personality suddenly changed. She said her name was Polaris."

Her face turned white. The curtains were blowing from the wind, where the broken window stood open. Kenshin had tried his best to clean up the mess of glass while she had been asleep, so as not to alarm her, 'Guess that's a loss…' His thoughts were interrupted, "What… what did you say?"

"Polaris?" He repeated, with a questioning tone filling his voice. The girl did not look well. She looked around and then rushed into the bathroom. Closing the door behind her and bolting the door shut, she leaned against the smooth wood of it, "Not happening." She whispered quietly, as she seemed to be on the verge of nervous breakdown, "She's gone!"

The blue orbs were opened wide, and her breath came in quick gasps. Kaoru saw herself in a mirror. Wanting to get rid of this appearance, she grabbed the heavy iron hand towel rack off the sink counter and threw it into the mirror, shattering it. So what if there were to be seven more years of bad luck. First she removed the sword from her side. Then, she turned on the water faucet and grasped some soap. She rubbed her face vigorously until she felt all the make up was gone. Forgetting the broken mirror, she felt around the sink with her hands for the towel. She didn't feel her hand slice on a piece of broken mirror as she finally found her target.

:KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK: Fists pounded upon the door angrily, as the captor wanted her to open the door. Kaoru saw her hand and slid to the floor. She dropped the soft towel, and held her hand with her other, "She is dead. Gone! Shishio you bastard!" Closing the darkened eyes, her face grew even whiter than it already was. Her hand was bleeding profusely, and she began to go into shock. The knocking continued on the door, until finally, Himura went to drastic measures and reached for his katana and with a few swipes, the hinges were cut off from the door and he pulled it away from the door frame.

The moment the girl had slammed the door, he grew fearful for her. He was afraid she was going to do something drastic. And drastic had indeed happened. The young woman sat on the floor, a small puddle of blood collecting on the floor, as he looked up, seeing the trail of blood on her arm and then the source being a gash on her hand. Her eyes were shut tight, and the red head rushed towards her. He grabbed the towel from the floor and tried to get her to say something as he pressed it hard over the gash, "What happened?"

No response, "Come on Kaoru, you have to stay awake." He saw that she was slowly approaching the state of passing out, "Please. Just open your eyes."

His soothing voice came to her mind, begging her to do something. She couldn't move, she couldn't do anything. She thought, "How nice…" It seemed that Polaris had slipped from her train of thoughts, as shock continued to take over, as well as darkness.

Kenshin felt her body go limp, "Damnit Kaoru! Don't you dare do this to me." After tying the towel tightly around her hand, he placed an arm around her back, and the other under her legs, as he picked her up and held her close. She felt so cold. The amber eyes flashed and he realized the mirror was broken and the source for the cut.

The man stepped out of the bathroom and headed for the front door. He noticed a small bulletin board in the front hallway and he glanced at it. A small business card caught his eye. It was a card for a small clinic, the name Megumi was written down with a number. He thought she must be a friend. Quickly memorizing the address, he slipped on his shoes and left the apartment, hoping he wouldn't be noticed.

* * *

Yes yes, it is VERY short. BUT I don't have a lot of free time anymore. Japan is fun… you see. I go to school, and hang out in the kick ass machi (downtown) of Kumamoto City quite often. I am happy though that I can write and post it on the internet! This chapter doesn't make much sense does it? I don't think so… but I thought I would get precious Battousai a little fluffy wordy moment. It's not much of a 'fluff' as a reviewer calls it, but I mean, he gets to hold her pretty damn close, and take care of her right? Obviously Kaoru does NOT enjoy the fact that Polaris comes around. Who is Polaris? Why the hell is she there? What the fuck is going on? FIND OUT IN FUTURE CHAPTERS. XDD

hotaru

Date Finished: June 29, 2005


	8. chapter 8

Date Started: June 30, 2005

Well then, I am at it again. I know the last chapter was suckey, and I expect reviews for… hmm, well, the crappiness of the chapter. I finished writing it and after putting it up on the internet realized: her injuries are WAY to common. I need to be more creative huh? Bleh… I have recently been kind of out of it and hyper …. Sooooo that may be why I haven't been writing up to my standards. Oh well, hope this chapter is something for you guys to like!

* * *

Butterfly Kisses

By: Hotaru

Rating: R; for language, gore, and some adult material

Standard Disclaimer:

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin in any way whatsoever. I do, however, own any characters that I may introduce as my own, and this plot line. If I catch you stealing it, you grovel at my feet and beg forgiveness, or die.

* * *

Lurking through the shadows of alleyways, Battousai managed to keep a low profile in the morning light of day. Soon enough, he arrived at a small clinic that seemed to be very slow with business. A woman sat at a desk in the front, with a cute uniform of a knee length black skirt and a white blouse and black jacket. A cute light pink scarf was tied around her neck and the bow was off to the side. Looking up, she saw the red head standing there with the petite young woman whom she recognized to have been a patient only a few days ago. 

"May I help you?" The secretary asked politely. Curiosity filled the worker's mind about the man. His presence gave off a dark aura. Lowering the small frames from her green eyes, she scrutinized some more making sure to notice his every detail. The man walked forward.

A cool voice came out of his mouth, "She has an injury to the hand." He looked down at her with his uncommon amber eyes, "I believe she went into shock about ten minutes ago." He felt that she was more than just an average secretary.

Immediately, flipping her long braid over her shoulder, the woman hit a button and spoke into a microphone, "Dr. Takani, please report to the front immediately!" The urgency in the voice made the man's features seem to sharpen. After making the announcement, she turned back to Kenshin, and just as soon as she was preparing to say something, Megumi's tall frame rushed through some double doors. She looked more like she was jogging rather than running. "Kaoru…" She whispered as she saw them, "Come with me and explain." He nodded, and followed the female doctor. They rushed through the hallways until they were in a small room with a chair and small table bed of sorts, "Lay her down here."

After doing so, more questions were asked, "What happened? Who are you?"

The golden gaze was hard, and he began to stare her down as the assassin slowly replied to the questions, "She cut her hand on some glass, and I believe she is in shock. It all happened about ten to twenty minutes ago." He reached for her hand, and lifted it up, showing his very crude bandage. Megumi immediately unwrapped it, and closely scrutinized the cut. It was still bleeding.

She pulled on some gloves, and got a clean rag from a drawer and some disinfectant. Pouring the smelly liquid from the bottle onto the towel, she then began to clean the cut to the best of her ability. Once it was clean she placed the rag onto the still bleeding cut and said, "Apply pressure to this. Don't release it. I'll be right back." Then, the brown eyed doctor left the room. After a minute or so, Kaoru began to stir. Opening her dark blue eyes, she whispered, "What are you doing?" Then, she tried to sit up, but Kenshin pushed her gently down with his hand, "No. You stay right where you are."

The skin on her face seemed to begin to gain a flush again, "But." He placed a finger against her lips making the statement that she should stay quiet and calm. The past events seemed to have slipped her mind, and he was happy to leave things that way, if only for a little while. Just as she promised, Megumi returned soon. Kaoru had already gone back to sleep back to sleep. Swiftly, a needle was unwrapped from its sanitized package, and like most medical needles, it was already threaded. Even though the girl was seemingly passed out, ether was held over her nose to make her slumber deeper.

The doctor said, "Remove the rag. I'm going to begin stitching up this little injury." Kenshin submitted to the request, and silently watched the professional begin her work. The man seemed a mystery to her. He had spoken barely any words the whole time, "Who are you?"

Those sharp, golden eyes flickered like fire to meet her brown gaze, "I am surprised you have not guessed it yet." He paused a moment, and looked back at the unconscious girl, then back at the doctor, "You are a friend of hers are you not?"

"I am." It now seemed that Megumi was the one answering rather than asking the questions. The woman seemed familiar to him. He was not quite sure where he had seen her before. He didn't know if he could trust her with his identity either, "You aren't one of those people who have been after Kaoru are you?" Her eyes narrowed, "If you are-"

"If I am, what are you going to do about it?" His gaze seemed to be more pressurized again, the doctor finished stitching up the gash, and knotted the stitches. He continued, "Do you seriously think that if I were the enemy, that I would bring her here, let alone have anyone treat her?" The voice became more cold, "I will kill the next person who tries to hurt her."

The woman suddenly felt that she should be very afraid, and indeed she was. The voice continued, "You know Sanosuke?"

The mention of her fiancée, who at the present was missing, suddenly made something click in her mind. Sano had once mentioned a comrade that he had once worked with. One with red hair, and golden eyes. One who killed mercilessly, a man who contained no heart. Clearly, her lover had been wrong. The actions of the man in front of her had not been heartless. The show of protection over her good friend Kaoru, had been revealed in the Hitokiri Battousai.

* * *

"Where the fuck are they!" Hiko thought angrily. It was a rarity for his assassin to be late. It was almost 8:30. Reaching into his pocket, the man found his cell phone and dialed a number. He was soon rewarded with Kenshin's voice on the other line, "I know. We are supposed to be there. There are some complications right now. Let's meet tonight at 10." 

"Fine. Meet at the other club. See you then. But I expect a good excuse for this." Hiko then hung up the phone, "Sumimasen… check please."

* * *

Dark was just falling upon the city. He stared up at the north star through the smog filled skies of Tokyo, "Polaris…" The name was whispered softly, filled with love, "When will I at last have her again?" 

Yes, Shishio had planted the gem in her. He had hoped that it would keep her under his control once she had arisen. Her presence in the world had been far to brief to manage that. What troubled the ruler of Japan the most, was what had caused her to go back to sleep inside the wretched Kamiya girl.

It had been years since he had seen the girl in the flesh. He had seen her on video tapes from the constant surveillance, but that was all. His mind was lost as he thought back to the time when he was in his early twenties, and Kaoru was fresh out of high school. She had just been accepted to Tokyo University, and wanted to study astrology. They had run into each other in a hallway and he had helped her gather her sprawled belongings.

* * *

Flashback

* * *

"Aah!" A small yelp of surprise emitted itself from a young woman as she was knocked to the floor by a man rushing through the hallways. Her bag and some files were spread across the hallway. He paused and turned to look at the girl. Her long black hair was tied back in a simple fashion, yet it was beautiful. She glared up at him fiercely, uncommon blue eyes mixed in with her Japanese features, "What where you're going idiot!" She knelt down on her knees and began to gather the scattered papers. 

"Gomen nasai. Let me help you." The tall young man offered, his black hair falling into his black eyes. He knelt beside her and picked up the last of the papers and placed them back into the file folder. Handing them to her, his fingers brushed against hers as she grabbed it from him, "Thanks." She bluntly said, obviously still pissed off.

He was now staring at her, "What's your name?" She seemed a little shocked at first, and then seemed to relax a little, "I guess there's no harm in that. Kaoru." The man flashed a gentle smile, "Shishio. Pleased to meet you." The two stood up, and she reached out her hand, "Nice meeting you Shishio. See you around."

* * *

End of flashback

* * *

The memory of their first meeting. It had been so innocent, yet, he had fallen for her. He had loved her once, truly loved her. But, once he had come to power, and discovered things about her, he fell for greed, and that love was tainted. He hungered for the power of everything. He hungered for Polaris, the one whom would rule by his side. He would make sure Kaoru slept forever, so that the one he now believed he was in love with, could be with him, "Foolish girl. To think you can hide from me forever? With your Battousai?"

* * *

Many things had gone on since the two had left the hospital. First off, Kaoru wanted to get clothes. Unfortunately, she was told she could not return to the apartment. He had wanted to go back and get the dai katana. The manslayer wanted to have it, in case she ever decided she wanted to use it. He knew she was trained to use the sword, otherwise she wouldn't have it. You never had a deadly weapon like that unless you knew how to use it. 

Megumi gave strict orders for Kaoru to lay low and take it easy. She had been worried about Kaoru's whereabouts for the past few days. No answer at the phone, or anything. Kenshin reassured the doctor that he would take care of her. They had conversed briefly of Sanosuke. She revealed that he was her fiancée, and that he had been missing for a little over six months. The assassin told her he knew he was still alive, but that was all he would say. She could get nothing out of him. The last thing he had told the doctor was that nothing was to be said about who Kaoru was with or where she was. Let alone that she had seen her. The woman simply nodded and by then, Kaoru had woken up.

They could not really go out in public, so, Kaoru could not buy clothes. Several phone calls later, Kenshin had found someone who could lend her some clothes. Kenshin didn't like who they were getting them from, but all the girl wanted was something clean, and not what she was wearing.

They had walked in the shadows, keeping low profiles. By noon, they had reached one of the finest apartment complexes in the city, and then they entered through a side entrance. Kaoru looked about in shock at the luxury of the place. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, the floors were covered in lush rugs, and the people were so polite. However, when they reached the room, and the door was answered, she was shocked to see who answered the door.

"Hello Battousai," And he turned to stare at her, "And HELLO beautiful."

"Sanosuke!." The young lady exclaimed, her face flushed. She carefully hid her injured hand behind her back, and stood there. Kenshin figured she would be shocked. She was friends with Megumi after all, "I can't believe- where have you- what are you DOING living in this place! Why the hell-"

Sanosuke placed his hand over her mouth, and said, "Shut up and get inside. I don't want to create a big scene or anything." With that, Kenshin kind of pushed her into the room, and then shut the door.

The outburst finally came, "What the hell are you doing living in a place like this, while no one knows about it, ESPECIALLY Megumi. What the fuck is your problem! Where have you been all these months! What do you think Megumi will say when she finds out you've been in this city all this time!"

"Calm down Kaoru." The man slayer was silently watching. Sanosuke somehow got her to calm down a little, "I have had to stay away from her to keep her safe. I can't let her know where I am until everything is over. They can't know that I am associated with her, or she might get hurt."

"Like Yahiko." The girl quietly said. She sat down on a plump chair and silently contemplated. She didn't seem to get all that riled up when it came to Yahiko this time, "Well, all I can say is you better talk to her soon. I don't know what you got yourself into this time, but, well, just don't hurt her."

The spiky haired man smiled gently, and then stated, "So, you need clothes huh?" She sweat dropped, "Yes."

"Fun!" The young man exclaimed and then disappeared into another room. Kenshin walked over to her, and knelt down in front of the girl, "Stay calm. I don't want you getting sick or anything. Remember you are still recovering from this morning."

She looked at him, "I know." For some reason, despite the kiss and her anger towards him over last night, she could not keep being angry with him. He had done so much for her, and that included taking care of her this morning. This red haired assassin was beginning to become more of a companion to her rather than a captor. The two stared at each other a few moments longer, and then the golden gaze turned away from her and he stood up. A few moments later, Sano came in with an armload of clothes.

"Where the hell did you get all those?" Kaoru suspecting something asked.

He looked down at them and then said, "Oh, these? I happen to like collecting female clothing." A look of disgust appeared on her face, "I'm just kidding jeez… They belonged to my partner. She's about your size."

"Your partner?"

"Long story." The guy stated shortly, and then, "Now get up, take these clothes, and go into the other room and change into whatever you think you'd actually wear."

"What do you mean 'whatever I'd actually wear?'" Kaoru asked as Sano snickered. The girl then walked into the next room and slammed the door behind her as she was suspicious of the whole thing.

Kenshin merely watched the spectacle silently. He wasn't sure if he actually wanted to see Kaoru in what she would end up being stuck wearing. Knowing Sano's past partner, well, she was one who dressed with… interesting styles.

Several minutes later they heard a death sentence, "ROOSTER! I'LL KILL YOU!" Her scream was muffled by the door, so it was no where near as loud and scary as the intended effect. The spiky haired man broke out in peals of laughter, and had to sit down. The assassin kept his stony face, yet on the inside, he was laughing as well. It was nice to hear the girl's annoyance, rather than her depressed state and revengeful promises.

Sanosuke finally managed to calm down, and just as he was done laughing, the door opened. What they saw made both men's jaws drop, the red head not catching himself this time. Kaoru stepped out of the room, with a very red face. She wasn't necessarily wearing revealing clothes, but they clung to her curves and showed off her form. The low rise camo skirt went about four to five inches above the knee, and was purposely torn in places, safety pins randomly stuck here and there, zippers adorning the pockets, and a black army belt was worn over the belt loops, the buckle off to the side. Her top was a tight fitting, light pink T-shirt, with a silver star imprinted on the front, her flat belly barely revealed. This so called partner obviously liked to get attention from people, or her style would have not been so.

Even though the outfit was not sluttish in any particular way, Kaoru disliked getting stares, and she was fuming as she felt the penetrating ones of the two men. She preferred shirts that weren't skin tight, fitted yes, but not annoyingly so. She despised skirts.

"Well, hello sexy." Sano whistled.

"What your mouth. If Megumi heard you say that you'd be dead." The woman seethed at her friend's fiancé. She refused to meet the golden eyes of Battousai, because she didn't know what she would see there if she did, or what she would do, "I want a computer, internet access, and a credit card…" No answer, "Now!"

* * *

10 PM

* * *

The two appeared to be nothing more than a couple strolling down the lit up streets of downtown Tokyo. No one paid any heed to them, as the red head stood closely next to the blue eyed girl as they made their way into a large building, music echoing from its doors. Kaoru seemed to be in a better mood, having the satisfaction of ordering some clothes, which Sano had so generously paid for. People gave jealous glares at the two, girls drooling over him, guys whistling after her. Kenshin sent a death glare to all the men, and would grasp the hilt of his sword that was carefully hidden under his jacket. 

The girl seemed to be becoming more comfortable in the man's presence. She felt she was safe and secure. Despite some of the things he had done to anger her, and betray her trust, that trust kept returning, with every thing he did to help her. His arm brushed against her bare one, and she flinched, "Gomen." The soothing voice, that was filled with so much coldness, yet, emotion entwined with it, "Come on. I need to tell you something before we see Hiko." He offered his hand to her, making sure his captive saw it. The sapphire eyes stared momentarily as she hesitated, and then placed her small hand into his calloused one.

He led her to a dark corner, where few people mingled. There were a few couples here and there, making out and feeling each other up, "Could we, umm…" Kaoru began, feeling extremely uncomfortable. The red head nodded in understanding, and took her to a more populated area, that was still low in population.

"He's going to ask you questions. A bunch of them, about last night. He is going to try and get things out of you that you probably won't want to tell him. I am just telling you…" He paused trying to think of the right words to say, "Try to keep your emotions under control alright?" His voice was again soothing, this time the emotion mixed in was concern for her well being.

Some raven locks fell into her face as the girl was looking down, taking in the information. Looking up, her eyes were firm, "I'll try. I just… that's all that's happened the past few years. Questions. Every time I got caught, they would ask me questions, and more questions… they would… do things… to try and get me to talk." She was struggling with what she was saying, not wanting to talk about it. This one was strong, "I don't believe that you guys are going to hurt me, intentionally that is, but… I don't think I can take it anymore."

The amber eyes looked back into hers in understanding, "Hai." He brushed back the hair from her face. She said one last thing, "If he asks me anything I don't wish to answer, and even tries to get me to answer it, I will no longer work with you and your organization." The last couple of words were allowed to settle in as the music playing in the night club continued. It was a soothing techno. After a few more moments, Kenshin began to walk towards a wall. She didn't even notice it until she felt her arm tug against his grip as she still stood there.

Walking along, the two finally reached an almost unnoticeable door in the wall. The assassin knocked three times and then slid open the door. No one was there. The room was dark, only the lights from the club peeped in as they smoothly went by. The girl felt his grip on her hand tighten, and then he whispered, "Take this." He slipped a small dagger into her hand, and then released his grip. She simply nodded, noting that his eyes had gone emotionless, the golden depths hardened. He placed a hand underneath the flaps of his long coat, preparing to unsheathe his weapon if necessary.

Sliding the door shut, he flickered the lights on. Kaoru's blue eyes scanned the area. She felt uneasy being in this room with the door shut, and not because of the fact that she was alone with the man. Something else. The unbearable feeling of being watched overcame her. A small click was heard, as her ears perked. It was from the left. Looking, she moved just in time to miss the sharp darts that flew in her direction, "KENSHIN!" She shouted as she saw them continue in his direction. He saw what she was shouting about and brought his sword out in a flash, the darts reflecting off and flying off into the walls.

"Let's get out of here." He told her. He did not turn his back to the room as he began to slide open the door, "Come on." The girl nodded and mimicked the red head by not turning around, always keeping the room in her sight. She quickly backed out and was followed immediately by Kenshin. He sheathed his sword, and Kaoru kept the dagger concealed in her hand. He gripped her arm lightly so as not to loose her. The two made their way towards the center of the dance floor, the most crowded area. People rammed into them, moving bodies crushed together moving to the beat of the hypnotic techno.

The captor and captive faced each other when they reached the middle of the floor, and Kenshin wrapped an arm around the girls waist. She stiffened, but he reassured her, "I'm not going to try anything. Just look like your having a good time." His eyes were still cold, and he appeared to be scanning the area. Kaoru nodded, and slipped the dagger into her pocket, and then placed her arms around his neck. He placed his head close to hers, his chin resting on her shoulder, "I don't know what just happened in there… but that is where Hiko was supposed to meet us. I am not liking the way things are going." His warm breathe tickled her ear, as they were dancing.

"Do you think we may have been betrayed?" The question startled him, the assassin not ever thinking of the possibility from Hiko, his once master. Keeping his voice even, he stated, "That is always a possibility." He paused, choosing his words carefully, "But if that's the case, then no one in the organization can be trusted." The words shocked her, as that included Sanosuke in the bunch.

She too was being careful with what she said, and keeping her voice relatively low, she spoke into his ear, "What is, the entire organization were working with Shishio. What if this is all a fraud." Pausing she said, "What if you are one of them!" The girl pushed away from him, placing a hand in her pocket, gripping the hilt of the dagger tightly.

The yellow eyes softened, as he allowed his emotions to show themselves. What she saw in his face truly made her scared, not for herself, but for his sanity. There was a mixture of pain, sorrow, betrayal, and hate. She could tell that this man, this assassin, was close to breaking. Never before had she seen such emotions, not even within herself. The captive realized that this man would in no way hurt her. He couldn't, because hidden in all those negative emotions, there was something else. She couldn't tell what it was exactly, but it was something akin to protection, maybe even… 'No. That's not possible…'

"I'm sorry. I should have known you wouldn't betray me as well." There was a moment of silence, and she placed her hands back around his neck, to the safety of his protection, "I… I trust you." The words made his heart skip a beat. No one had ever said anything like that to him before. No one had ever felt safe around him, not even Hiko. Hiko had been his master, and Kenshin had mastered his style. All of it, including the secret move. Hiko didn't know that the secret was known to the assassin, but that was because Battousai had discovered it on his own. The words that filled his mind made him have a sense of happiness. He returned his arms around her waist, and said, "Thank you."

The two danced on silently and as the song ended, he whispered, "Be alert. I sense foul play coming." Then, they left the dance floor and began to make their way out of the building. Nearing the exit, another hushed whisper entered her mind, but this one was not spoken, '_Careful beloved. We wouldn't want you getting hurt now would we?_' "Huh?" Now outside, Kaoru stopped.

"What is it?"

"It… it's nothing. I'm just hearing things." She walked to his side and asked, "So, where do we go now?" '_Wouldn't that be interesting to know? Be sure and tell me!_' The voice again, "Shut up!" She shouted to it.

The man looked concerned, "Are you ok?" The blue eyes were stricken with slight terror, "Don't say any names or locations of anything!" Her hands were placed on her head. His sharp eyes saw the glow of the jewel in her wrist. He reached for her hand and brought her arm in front, palm up, so that the gem could be seen in view. '_I know what you are up to my love._' The gem glowed again.

A small scream of irritation escaped her lips, "Stop it! Get out of my head!" The people in the area paused and gave the two a weird look, but continued on their way. Kenshin pulled her into an alley way and asked her, "What's wrong?"

"He…" She was shaking, "He's in my head!" '_That I am. Hahaha! And I'm not leaving until I choose to do so!_' "Stop it! Shut up!" He noticed that just before she had said that the gem again glowed.

He grasped her wrist, "We have to get the jewel destroyed. It's a control mechanism." She looked at him her eyes filled with fear, and she simply nodded, "Just get him out of my head." Kaoru herself brought out the dagger he had loaned to her, "Do it. A little more pain won't hurt me."

"Are you sure?" She merely nodded. The man reached into a pocket of his jacket and brought out some gauze and bandages, so that she wouldn't need to be rushed back to the clinic. They couldn't risk it, "I'm sorry if this hurts." He gripped the dagger tightly, not wanting to hurt her. The blue eyes were shut tight, "I'll live." And then he placed the tip of the blade close to the jewel, and quickly cut around it and dug into the skin and then he finished with a flick of the wrist and the blood red stone removed itself from her.

The girl had not cried out, but he felt her stiffen. Her eyes were still shut tight. He dropped the blade and with skilled hands, the assassin placed the gauze over the open wound, and quickly wrapped the bandaging tightly around so as to stop the bleeding as soon as possible. He spotted the gem once that part was completed and then concentrated a little and then it shatter into billions of pieces.

Unfortunately, moments after, powerful ki meandered into his mind, and it was not hers. It was someone else's. Some whom he had not seen in a long time. Kaoru seemed to sense him as well, '_That's good… she can now sense ki._' The girl soon was on her feet again, standing next to him. She had picked up the dropped dagger that still had her hot blood on its cool steel. She was in a defensive stance, looking ready to kill anything. The man drew his katana from its sheath. And, as if it were planned the two said consecutively, "Show yourself… Shishio."

"Well, well, well, don't we have two smart fighters?" The black eyes reflected in the bright light of the full moon, "It is true, that I am him. And I have come to claim what is rightfully mine, from him who has stolen it." He stepped forward and the two prepared themselves for the worst, as Shishio too drew a sword. They were surprised by his appearacence as well asthe sword in his hand: akatana, that only looked all to familiar: hers.

* * *

YAY! A LONG chapter. Hehehe… or I call it long. Its 5046 words and is ten pages long! Longer than anything I've put up in a while ne? Wee…. A cliffhanger. Those are always fun. I am glad to have more time to write now that I settled into my new host family's house. Yea… I had to move to a new host family, but this is the last move I'm making until I go back home to America. Hmm…. Happy July 4th I should say. It's actually July 5th where I am, but it's still the fourth in America. 

Yah… I took a Japanese final today and probably blew it. I can't tell if I've been putting a bunch of Japanese or not into this story. I haven't gone back and read it yet. If you want more Japanese put in let me know and I'll start integrating some. If you don't that's cool too. I expect some praise for writing a long chapter for once k? Do you like it? I am pretty sure that I know how I am going to end this story. It's not soon… but I would say the story is halfway done. I know that there will at least be fifteen chapters. And Kaoru and Battousai are finally getting close! Wee… maybe more fluff in the next chapter and definitely blood and a fight scene. And some things revealed about Shishio and Kaorus past relationship. No more boring crap. Please review if you like whats happening.　Is it making sense or is it really confusing? Until next time! Jaa ne!

Hotaru

Date Finished: July 5, 2005


	9. chapter 9

Date Started: July 9, 2005

I am really happy that you guys are liking how things are going. And yes, it's true, I did not beta chapter 8 cause I wanted to get it out so fast. So, sorry guys. I'll go back and beta it later. But it was a relatively long chapter, so that makes up for it! Anyway, thanks for reviewing and encouraging me to continue, cause that is what I'm doing here! Also, I posted up another Kenshin story! I don't have a title for it unfortunately, though I have one in mind. Go read it and let me know what you think ne?

* * *

Butterfly Kisses

By: Hotaru

Rating: R; for language, gore, and some adult material

Standard Disclaimer:

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin in any way whatsoever. I do, however, own any characters that I may introduce as my own, and this plot line. If I catch you stealing it, you grovel at my feet and beg forgiveness, or die.

* * *

The wind whispered gently around the alleyway. The night was cool with the coming of winter and the moon swam in and out of the clouds that hinted more rain was coming. Shishio stood staring at the two with a confident look on his face, as if he knew he would win. Battousai looked hard at their enemy with his emotionless eyes. Warm blood dripped from the dagger that was at her side, as Kaoru did as her captor was doing, stare with cool darkened eyes. She was angry. He had her sword. While the girl did not really like using her sword, she knew that if anyone else used it, she would go to any means to get it back.

"You've known where we were all along." Her angry voice slithered out from her throat. The enemy laughed, throwing up his head, his eyes closed. Not a smart thing. Kenshin took up the opportunity and made the first move. Shishio noticed the change in the speed of the wind and immediately stopped and brought up the sword just in time to meet the manslayer's, "Oh yes, the Hitokiri is indeed good. However, he is not good enough!" Shishio pushed his blade forward, and forced the hardened assassin back. Kaoru was looking on. She continued to grip the small sword tightly, her knuckles turning white. She was slowly making her way towards the fighting duo.

Kenshin would make an attack, then back away and Shishio would then make his move. Several times, the red head managed to hit his enemy. Not hard enough to create any serious wounds, but enough to draw blood. Both of them were far to involved in their fight to notice what she was doing. The heels of her boots softly clicked against the concrete ground. Dimly lit lamps aligned the alleyway, hanging from closed shops. A back street of downtown Tokyo this was, rather than an alley. The girl was getting closer. Her long locks were down, and the moon reflected off her silvery blue eyes moments before it disappeared behind another cloud.

Shishio's back was wide open to her. Only five feet away. Her hand brought its way up, and the bloodied tip of the dagger pointed at the man's backside. Two things happened at once.

* * *

"You're kidding!" The usual cool demeanor of the leader of the Oniwabanshuu left his face at what the girl had just told him.

She stood in front of the tall man, her petite self looking very fragile in contrast to his own large frame. She was dressed in black attire, her clothes tight fitting so they could not get in her way. Her face was halfway covered, but emerald green orbs peered out and a long braid fell down her back, "No. I am not kidding. I was at the clinic and he came in with a girl in his arms."

Aoshi sat back against the desk. His face back to its hardened self, he said, "Well then, looks like I've found you, old friend."

* * *

Hiko slowly became aware of his surroundings. Things had happened so fast, they were a blur in his memory. He was lying down, on the ground it seemed. The man opened his eyes, and he was greeted with the fluorescent light of his room. He heard the breeze flow into the room. He carefully sat up, and looked at the clock. It read five till midnight. The mirror he looked into next revealed a dart still stuck in the side of his neck, "Shit."

* * *

Kaoru buried her weapon deep into the enemy's right shoulder. Before he could allow anything to register, Shishio had found an opening and he brought up Kaoru's sword and it pierced Battousai's flesh, cutting across his chest, and then allowing the tip to bury itself two inches into the assassin's side. By then, pain had spread throughout his arm and shoulder and began moving throughout his entire body, and he dropped her sword.

The girl stared hard at her ex lover, and then saw Kenshin kneeling on the ground. She pulled the dagger out of the man's shoulder, and what she saw happen surprised her. His skin began to melt all over, and his eyes rolled up in his head. At that moment, two men came out onto the tiny street, and immediately grabbed their leader and carried him into a once hidden van and they left the scene.

Rushing towards the injured man breathing heavily, while picking up her sword and securing it at her hip, she cried out, "Kenshin!" She knelt beside him, and made him look at her by grabbing his chin and forcing his face towards hers, "How bad is it?"

His hand gripped his side, and she saw the blood slowly seeping through his grasp. His eyes for once held emotion, pain. Never before had he let anyone see what he felt. Yet, with this woman, he felt that he could show her his emotions, "I'm fine. I've had worse." His voice was soft. Thunder clapped, and moments later the rain began to pour down hard.

He was lying. She knew it and he knew she knew it, "Where's your phone!" Her urgent plea came out. The amber eyes wavered for a moment, and then said, "In my pocket. Get some of that bandaging would you?" She nodded. Digging around in the coat pocket, she finally found what she was looking for. Kaoru had forgotten it was raining, and when she brought the phone to face the elements, it died moments later as rain drenched it, "Fuck." Kenshin was currently attempting to wrap himself up, but it was not working very well.

Looking around, she spotted a small awning, and said, "We need to get out of this, come on." She reached down to help him up but he shook her hand aside and stood up on his own, using his katana for support. He was unsteady as he took a few steps and Kaoru ran to him and wrapped an arm around his waist and made him place an arm over her shoulder. When they reached their destination, she saw that what looked like an abandoned house was there. She thought a moment and then walked inside with Kenshin by her side.

It was cold and drafty and the wood was old, but it would do. She sat the red head down on the aged tatami mat that covered the floor and then told him, "We need to get your shirt off."

"I know." He quickly and what looked like, painfully, removed his drenched coat and shirt. His well defined chest was seen and numerous scars revealed. It was bloodied by the long gash that ran across it, and the deep cut continued bleeding. She grabbed the supplies he had with him, and then sat down next to him. The two were drenched from head to toe. Kaoru shivered lightly, but she ignored the chill, and then began to treat the wounds crudely, "What are you doing?"

His voice cut through the silence of the room. Her deep blue eyes looked into his fiery ones, "I'm going to stop the bleeding is what I'm doing. You shut up and let me do this. Stay still." Her demanding voice was so soothing to him. He had not felt cared for in such a long time. Her small, slender hands reached over his chest as she sat in front of him, and brought the bandaging around. She continued to wrap him up until she felt that the treatment was good enough to temporarily keep him out of danger, and then tied a knot securely.

Heat radiated off his body, and she felt it seep into her cold one. Her clothes were not very heavy, which was not good for the quickly dropping temperature, and it didn't help that they were sopping, as was her hair.. Yes, it was not yet winter, but the night temperatures these days was random. Tonight was going to be cold. Another shiver permeated herself. Kenshin saw this, and he hesitated a moment, but then he wrapped his muscled arms around her. He was leaning against a wall, Kaoru sitting in between his legs facing him. She was caught off guard by his act, and stiffened, as he pulled her close to him.

After a few moments, and a few thoughts of consideration, she relaxed a little, and relaxed her hands that rested on his chest. He buried his face in her damp hair, "I'm sorry."

She moved back a little so that he could see her, "Sorry for what?" So many feelings were emanating from him, especially hate, pain, sorrow.

He sighed and his deep voice whispered, "Betraying your trust. Causing all this trouble. Making you be a captive." He closed his eyes and looked away. The young woman took a few moments to consider what he had said. Despite all that had happened, he was the first man in all these years who actually seemed to care, "Don't be." She reached her hand up and turned his face towards hers again, "You proved yourself worthy of my trust. Yes, I lost it once, but you gained my trust back. You are the only person… aside from… aside from Yahiko, who has tried to protect me in many years. I don't consider myself a captive any longer. I consider you, a person that I can believe in."

Slowly, he opened his amber eyes, and what she saw there, again, shocked her. Tears. His eyes were filled with tears, and silently, he allowed them to fall. The Hitokiri Battousai was allowing Kamiya Kaoru to see him cry. Something he had not done since he was a small boy, "Thank you." He pulled her closer, and Kaoru reached her hand behind his head and brought it down, allowing his lips to meet with hers. They shared a sweet and gentle, yet passionate kiss.

After a few moments, they pulled apart, and another emotion seemed to seep through the golden depths, hope. The two rested in each other's arms, as the night went on. Soon, weariness overcame the girl, and she shortly fell asleep. Not long after, Kenshin followed, and he slept deeper than he had slept in years. Not a deep sleep, but deep enough that little things would not awake him. If only for the one night, he wanted it to end peacefully.

* * *

'_Keep going. Don't stop!' The thought swam through her head as she ran on and on down what seemed an endless, tree lined path to the doorway, 'Don't you dare look behind you!' As the conscious words were thought, her terrified blue eyes turned as she did what she had told herself not to do. They were gaining._

_Looking back towards her, a branch smacked her in the face hard, causing her to fall onto her back on the hard packed ground, "Shit!" Her desperate voice whispered, "Get up, get up, get up!" Kaoru quickly followed her commands and stood up, but she had been too slow. _

_The men surrounded her, and she was stuck in the middle of a small circle, "Leave me alone!" She cried out as a man reached out and struck her face. Their own faces were invisible to her, somehow shadowed. The girl felt helpless, weak. She hated that feeling. That was the only way she had felt since the whole trials began, and she was sick of it. Somehow, her sword appeared in her hands, unsheathed. The men saw this and their white glowing eyes widened._

_An odd sensation over came her body, and then she opened her black eyes. The dai katana was brought over her head and came down in a quick slash, slitting the throat of one of the men. What came next was a quick slaughter of the group of six. Blood covered the maid's body, dripping from her bangs and onto her face. The eyes flashed silver, and then returned to black, "Sleep now, Kaoru." The cool collected voice of Polaris spoke._

'_I don't want to sleep!'_

"_But aren't you tired of feeling weak? You said so yourself. I am strong, I am trained, and I can use this sword." The calmness of the powerful being found in her voice._

_She closed her eyes again, and they reopened as dark blue, "NO! I will be myself. I can use the katana as well as you. You know it. Stay out of this." She began shaking in a struggle for possession of her own body, as Polaris tried to come forth again._

'_What must I do to make you see that you are better off asleep until Shishio is destroyed!' _

"_If I sleep I cannot learn!" A desperate cry uttered from her body. Kaoru felt her power over herself being lost. A few moments more, and Polaris would win._

* * *

"Kaoru!" Warm hands shook her shoulders. The petite woman sat up straight, leaving the warmth of his chest. She was shaking and sweating profusely. It sounded like the rain had stopped. Indeed, the night was chilled. The closed door and windows did not help to keep the cold out. Kaoru let out a cough.

"A dream." She whispered fearfully, "I pray to god it was only a dream." Her eyes were wide with a new fear. It seemed like a slight fever was taking over, as the assassin felt her immense body heat radiate.

"What was?" The red head asked, his worried eyes boring into her scared ones. He feared that she would make herself sick.

"Po-polaris. She… she nearly won and took over again. She is… stronger than me." Tears finally streaked her pale face, and Kenshin wrapped his arms around her and hushed her, "It's alright. Don't let fear overcome you. Shh…" They had both now shed their tears that night, for maybe the last time it could be allowed.

* * *

"Nee-chan…" A weak voice called out. A small form lay on a small cot in a darkened room. It was still and the rise and fall of a chest were the only signs that this being was alive.

Spiky hair covered the boy's head, and he slowly opened his chocolate eyes. He had a crude bandage wrapped around his chest. His shirt was ruined, and his pants were covered in his own blood. He did not dare to try and move. Yahiko wasn't quite sure as to how he had survived the gun shot. All he knew was that he had blacked out and woken up here, and that the enemy was probably keeping him alive just so they could use him as bait. He hoped with all his being that Kaoru was alright.

* * *

Hmm…. Not as long as the last chapter, but longer than my short chapters. I must say, thank you for reviewing! I am writing away. I don't think I beta'd this chapter very well… so forgive me. I am trying to make my updates weekly now. I have recently had the urge to write every day. Perhaps its my boredom in school that makes me want to write. BUT thats a good thing right? I will make the next chapter long. So... I might take two weeks, but probably not.

The second half of this chapter was REALLY hard to write. I had a difficult time figuring out how things should go and be said and I didn't really get much of a descriptive side to set the mood either. The first half I really am satisfied with… but bleh. Yahiko is alive? OO And guess who? Aoshi-sama and Misao. So, now I have all of the main characters involved. Sorry, I am not bringing Tsubame into the story. To many characters to worry about as is. And how the hell did they know that Hiko was supposed to meet Kenshin and what not? Maybe I'll tell you in the next chapter. Hope you liked and give me your thoughts.

Hotaru


	10. chapter 10

Date Started: July 18, 2005

Yes, I know, Hiko got knocked out. Umm…. there have been technical difficulties with my host family's computer. I think there may be a virus cause every time I try to go to websites, that little 'an error occurred' thing pops up, the one that says 'don't send' etc, and whenever you hit don't send, the entire window closes. It does this every time, like, I went to update my new story, Happiness in Slavery, (ahem… previously untitled, go read it.) and I couldn't update it cause of the damn problem. I can't even check my email because of it. So, sorry if it takes forever to get this up… but maybe when I finish the chapter the problem will be fixed! fingers crossed

Guess what? I am going to Kyoto in August for a few days, so I will get to look around and get a little familiar with it. So, if I write anything in this story in Kyoto (my other story takes place mostly in Kyoto) I can be sort of accurate I hope. Now, I hope you like this chapter that I am making sure is longer than ten pages!

--

Butterfly Kisses

By: Hotaru

Rating: R; for language, gore, and some adult material

Standard Disclaimer:

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin in any way whatsoever. I do, however, own any characters that I may introduce as my own, and this plot line. If I catch you stealing it, you grovel at my feet and beg forgiveness, or die.

--

Hiko worked his way through the crowded Tokyo streets, in search of his assassin and captive, _Where the hell could they be?_ He had searched the streets since he had woken up, and it was nearly sunrise. His first stop had been the club in hopes that someone had seen them. Apparently a couple had been there, but left about thirty minutes or so after arrival in quite a hurry, the man with red hair and the girl with blue eyes. He knew it was them. But what had happened afterwards? Where had they gone?

He was getting close to the area where the club was, when he again scanned the area as he had done earlier. Luck seemed to take the large man's side this time around, as he picked up some familiar life forces not to far from where he was. The ki was immobile, and was pulsating calmly. The sun was beginning to peek its face over buildings, as its rays reached through the considerable amounts of smog that hung in the city. The boss made his way towards the ki, following his instincts, and stood in the back street that the battle had been fought the night before. Looking around the area, he spotted the dried up pools of blood that covered the ground. _Hope that wasn't him… or the girl._ Then, the dark eyes rested on the doorway of the old building. It was them, he had no doubt about it. He walked up to the door, and was slightly shocked as the door slid open the moment that the man was going to open it.

Kenshin's eyes looked up at Hiko, and they relaxed as he recognized the said intruder, "It's you." He moved away from the door way and gestured, "Come in."

Nodding, the leader bent his head so he wouldn't hit the door frame, and entered the shabby abode, taking in its poor conditions, "I see you managed to find yet another place to reside."

"It's only been three nights." Came the curt answer of Battousai, "And it would probably be smart if we continued to stay in a different place every night." Pausing, waiting to see if Hiko would say anything, which he didn't, he then continued, "Unlike you, Hiko, who continues to stay where he resides. Where were you last night? We were ambushed."

Looking sternly to his pupil, he said, "I stay where I do because I do not care if I am found, which is what happened. I was knocked out by a dart." Thinking a few moments, the man spoke some more, "My window was open. The only thing that boggles my mind is how could I not notice how anyone on our list of enemies would be able to get by without being detected."

"If you have not already noticed, my place was discovered, they probably discovered her place, and if I had not destroyed that jewel, we would have been discovered again. They knew because Kaoru knew. The jewel was a control mechanism of sorts, and I have no doubt that it also worked as a tracker and a telepathic source to our plans."

Dark eyes met golden ones, "You destroyed the jewel?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"He just told you did he not?" Kaoru's voice sliced through, as she walked up behind the red head. Her voice quavering slightly, she continued on, "Shishio was… inside my head. He was speaking to me through the mind, everything I said or thought he knew." Her voice had become stronger now, "The damn thing glowed every time the man would communicate with me." She held out her bandaged wrist, "So, we took care of it."

Hiko took little comfort in what she said, and the sight of her treated wound, their dirty skin, and bloodied clothing, made him remember the bloody street, "None of you were hurt otherwise? What exactly happened after you left the club?" Slight concern carried in his voice.

Kenshin closed his eyes, a sign that he did not want Kaoru to tell his boss about him being injured. She saw and understood, and decided to go on and tell the story, most of it at least, "We left the club quickly and ended up here so that he could get rid of the jewel. Shortly afterwards, Shishio showed up and attacked Battousai. I ended up stabbing the damn bastard in the back with a dagger that Kenshin gave me. Then his skin began to go all melty on us and he was evacuated from the area by his men. It began to rain shortly afterwards and so we stayed here last night. That's the story."

The head seemed to be satisfied with the story, "Well, as long as you two are alright. I think we should go ahead and leave. I think it is soon that Shishio must be confronted by Polaris."

"No." Her voice slivered out cold. She unconsciously gripped her katana that was at her side tightly. Noting this, the man asked, "And where did you get that beautiful sword?"

"It is mine. I have had it for years." She released her grasp, and said, "If I let Polaris out again… she might not allow me to wake up. I will not risk that. She wants me gone until this is over."

"I see." After a short pause, Hiko said, "Come with me." He turned around and headed out of the building and continued, "There is an assignment for you tonight, Battousai, and you, Kamiya-san, are involved as well."

--

"GAAH!" Screams of rage and horror permeated the rooms of the entire fifth floor, "NO! This is not possible!" The master's room was littered with scattered objects. He stood off in a dark corner, the numerous wrappings were seen to hide his features, again clad in loose kimono. His shoulders were heaving, showing signs that most of the tumult had been created recently. Everything had gone wrong the night before. Nothing had happened like it was supposed to have.

He was supposed to have defeated the Battousai. He was supposed to have taken Kamiya and forced her to awaken Polaris once again. He did not realize how close he really had been to achieving both. Shishio, had been very careless. The man had been so focused in his fight with the assassin that he had not realized that the girl had a dagger covered in her blood, and that she had been heading towards him, and indeed, had hurt him.

Her blood. Her power. It had turned against him. Just as it had done before.

--

Flashback

--

_Fire raged on around the two figures standing, facing each other, "Polaris, my love, come back to me!" A pleading voice cried._

"_No." Silver eyes flashed black, the fire causing them to look red, "Your wants are not worthy of my power. You can't stand the two of us to be combined as one, the way it should be." She had begun walking around him in a circle, her eyes always watching him. _

_Shishio had a stricken look on his fine face. His shirt clung to his sweaty skin, his hair was plastered to his forehead and the back of his neck. He carried a dai katana in one hand, and in the other, kunai. His state was quite the opposite of Polaris. _

_Polaris had on black clothing, a tight black shirt that rose above her naval, black pants and boots, and a long black trench coat with red trimming. Her eyes were darkly coated with black eye makeup, her lips as red as blood, and her hair was pulled back in a high ponytail samurai fashion. She gripped the hilt of her katana with both hands, never lowering her guard, of course, giving off her lethal affect. However, there were numerous injuries inflicted upon her. She had a thin cut above her right eye, that was bleeding, but did not obscure her vision. One slash ran along the shoulder of her jacket, and blood had dripped down to her hand. Across her flat stomach, another gash bled, bled as did many other injuries that would doubtlessly leave ugly scars.. _

"_We could rule together, all of Japan, NO, the world." Greed consumed the man's mind. The fire seemed to be held back, for it was spreading throughout the building, but had not come closer than ten feet to the two, a circle like perimeter surrounded them._

_She bit back with the remark, "Your greed for power has clouded your vision." Finishing off her final circle, the woman stood in front of him again. Her eyes changed from black to silver, "Now, you will be-" Her words were cut off by the kunai being stabbed into her side, "You think that will stop me?" She spoke through her teeth, her voice containing pain and anger. She placed her small hand atop his large one, then, gripping tightly, she used all her will to pull his hand along with the kunai out of her side, and then brought his arm around and dug it deep into his chest, her blood then mixing with his._

_The man's eyes contained shock, and she said, in what sounded like two voices, "We are more powerful together, than one separate from the other." She released her grip from his hand, and then sheathed her sword, and turned around. She began to walk slowly away, her hand pressed against her side, her right arm limp, finally allowing her injuries to begin to take their toll on her body. The fire as if on cue, cleared away from her as she continued to leave, "NO! Polaris, please!" But the man's cries were ignored._

"_For every physical wound you have inflicted upon me, you will forever feel it on your skin." Screams of pain permeated the building. All of his skin looked as though it were melting. Shishio was crawling on the ground. He had left his sword behind. The heat began to overtake him, as the flames began to close in on him, and then, he blacked out._

--

End of Flashback

--

The two were shown into a very nice establishment, a place for those of upper society. It was a shop for traditional wear, very expensive clothing at that, "Why?" Kaoru looked up at Hiko in question. Battousai's gold eyes remained impassive. He had had to do this many times, "Our mission tonight." He had not told her anything about what was going to happen. Apparently, Kenshin already knew, and was going to tell her when they were on the way there.

"Oh." And then she went silent, and began studying the room. The walls were trimmed in a creamy wall paper that had thin golden pinstripes. Draperies that matched the gold hung around the large windows. A miniature chandelier hung on the ceiling, and the floor was finely carpeted. They had removed their shoes at the entrance. She felt very out of place with the state of her self.

"Aah… Hiko-sama, Himura-sama," A relatively thin but well dressed man entered the room, "We have been expecting you." He turned his warm brown eyes towards the suspicious blue ones, "And who is this fine young woman?" He seemed to be daunted not by the blood covering her, as if he were used to it.

"She will need to be fitted in your finest kimono, no matter the charge. It will of course, go into my account." The man's face lit up at Hiko's words, he seemed almost jittery.

"Of course! Of course!" He clasped his hands together, "It has been ages since we have been so privileged to have a woman of such beauty fitted in our finest masterpiece. It shall be my pleasure to make sure she is taken care of as if she were royalty." Her face had slightly paled, at the man's very flamboyant gestures and speech. She had never been spoken of in such ways, let alone that she was a beauty. And if she were so, how could she be even beautiful with her current state? Her thoughts were interrupted by the man gently placing his hand just below the back of her neck, pushing her forward, "Come now…"

"Kamiya Kaoru." The hand on her back made her uncomfortable, and she shied away from his touch. Kenshin took note of this and stated, "Morikawa-san, she has been through many trials recently, please do not make her uncomfortable." And then made a small gesture with his hand towards her back, "Ah, of course." Then, he refrained from touching her, "I will take her upstairs to the ladies."

"Kamiya-san should be ready at the specified time." Hiko reminded the clothing designer.

The man bowed, and then said, "If you two gentlemen would wait a few more moments, I shall have my attendants come to prepare Himura-sama." And then he turned his attention back to Kaoru, "Follow me, Kamiya-sama, right this way." And with that, the two disappeared through a small doorway.

Kenshin said, "Sometimes, I really don't like him."

Looking down, amusement was in Hiko's eyes, "Don't tell me she's growing on you? Affection can not-"

"No. I just wish to respect her. And she dislikes being touched by men." As he finished the sentence, another man entered, and said, "Himura-san, please follow me."

"See you after the mission Hiko." Then, Kenshin disappeared in a doorway, just as Kaoru had. Hiko chuckled, and then left the establishment.

--

What she had thought was simply a clothing store, was much more than that. The many upper floors contained many different things. Right now, Kaoru was relaxing in a bathtub. After being escorted upstairs, the man called Morikawa being careful not to touch her, she had been greeted by two women, one who looked around Kaoru's age, and another probably about ten years older, and left with them.

One woman led her towards what was a bathroom, the younger girl remaining behind. Kaoru was told to take her time taking a shower and cleaning up. The blue eyed girl was greatly pleased to hear that. She was shocked at how huge the place was. The shower had been luxurious, hot water pouring over her sore body. Her ruined clothes were now wadded up in a ball in a corner, her katana resting on a sink.

Now, Kaoru felt her muscles loosen, and she relished in the heat, soaking it all up. The tub was enormous, and the water rose all the way up to her chin. She decided she had been long enough, having already been in the water close to twenty minutes, and stood up, the water dripping from her body. She reached for a fluffy, white towel, and wrapped it around herself. Her wet hair was pulled back in a low bun, and she left it that way.

After picking up her sword, she walked to the door, and opened it a crack. Sticking her head out, she looked left and right, and seeing the elder woman sitting on a bench reading a magazine, Kaoru said, "Excuse me!"

The woman looked up and smiled gently, "Come on out, there are no men up here. We have a yukata ready for you." Hesitating a moment, the girl left the room and followed her elder to another room, where indeed, a yellow yukata with red flowers printed on it waited for her, "I will be outside. When you are finished changing please come out and we will continue to prepare you for tonight." Bowing, she then left the room. Kaoru quickly put on the garment over her naked body, and tied the red obi firmly. There were slippers waiting at the door as well, which felt very comfortable on her feet.

Leaving the room, the woman again stood from her post, and then gestured for Kaoru to follow her to another room. What happened next was something she had never before experienced. The younger woman joined the two, and they sat her down on a very comfortable cushion that rested on the tatami covered floor, taking her weapon and setting it against the wall. The room was gently heated, not warm enough to be stifling but enough to keep out the chill. They let loose her long hair, and while one woman began to brush her locks, the younger one faced her and said that she was going to treat her wrist with some medications, and then proceed to apply make up.

The medicine stung as it was used on the small, but nasty wound. At least what looked like the starts of infection, would no longer be at risk. Then, with clean strips of cloth, her wrist was firmly wrapped up. The brushing of her hair was soothing. The gentle hands did not pull the brush to hard, but was not to soft, the gentle tug giving her a sensation she had never felt. Her hair was dry and she felt hands begin to divide her hair into sections, and begin to toy with her locks.

Meanwhile, cosmetics had been brought out, "Are you hungry? I think it would be best if you go ahead and eat before we begin with your face, so that you may brush your teeth afterwards?" The simple question made her realize how hungry she really was. She had had nothing to eat since the day before, "Thank you, I am hungry." She laughed internally at the brushing her teeth part. She would like that too. The young woman bowed and then left the room, while the other woman continued to prepare the coiffure.

All of this was so relaxing. It had been years since she had been able to just relax and allow people to take care of her. About five minutes later, the girl brought in a tray with several choices of food, all of the options were light, but Kaoru knew they would fill her up. The tray was sat down in front of her, and she picked up the chopsticks that rest in between the petals of a crystal flower. She was careful not to move to much, so not to bother the woman fixing her hair. After about ten minutes, the bowl of rice, miso soup, and fish had been devoured, and the girl felt quite satisfied.

"Kamiya-san, your hair is finished, so, if you wish it, you may return to the bathroom, and take care of any needs. When you are done, please return here, so that I may put some finishing touches to it, and your face can be made up." Nodding her thanks, she stood up, and left the room, putting on her slippers as she entered the hallway. _Definitely something different._

When Kaoru stepped into the luxurious bathroom again, she found that all the steam from the shower and bath had been vented out of the room, so no humidity filled the air. At the sink, there was a toothbrush and toothpaste, as well as a bar of soap and a towel. And like the other rooms, there was no mirror. _I guess they want me to wait to see myself?_ With that, she quickly brushed her teeth and washed her hands. After doing so, she returned to the room, and hairspray and several other products were put into her hair, as well as a sweet smelling oil of sorts. Meanwhile, her make up was being applied, and after another thirty minutes, she was done.

"And now, we will take you to put on your kimono. Please, follow us."

--

It was nine in the evening. Kenshin stood in the lobby waiting for her. He was finely clad in black traditional clothing, white lining the sleeves and collar of the gi, his hair pulled back high, and his sword worn at his side. The appointed time to arrive at their location was ten, and knowing Tokyo, traffic would not be nice. If they were late, that was ok, but they needed to be there so that the assignment could be carried out by one in the morning. He didn't exactly know how Kaoru would react to what her role was going to be.

His ears perked, and his gold eyes turned, at the sound of footsteps, "About time, we're running-" The man's words were cut short by the appearance of her. She was escorted into the lobby by Morikawa, and was a sight to see. The kimono she wore was of crimson. The long sleeves were edged with little golden six point stars, as was the collar and hem. Her feet barely peaked out from the hem, her hands were hidden by the sleeves, as she clasped them in front of her. The obi was of a matching gold color with that of the stars, and the rope that was tied around the obi, was black. The lining of her undergarments that peaked out from the collar were black. Her hair was done up in a difficult coiffure, with a decoration of a butterfly placed at the back of her hair. Her lips were painted red, her eyes outlined in black on top, red underneath, done so precariously that it made her blue eyes stand out, rather than look like they were bleeding. The corners of her eyes glittered gold in the light of the chandelier. To finish off the look, her katana adorned her hip.

"Ahem…" Himura managed to say, "We need to leave now." Kaoru nodded, and walked towards him, and then she turned around and told Morikawa, "Thank you." And then continued to leave the building with Kenshin. He held his arm out towards her, and she had accepted it. She still had not seen herself, but she assumed it was impressive, considering the assassin had been speechless for about five minutes. When they were outside, she did not even notice the cold, for the rich material of the kimono prevented it from seeping into her skin, aside from her face and neck.

A limo was waiting for them, and the two got in, and then they were on their way, "So what exactly is happening tonight?" Kaoru asked first thing. He looked into her questioning eyes, and was hesitating with what he was going to be telling her, and how he was going to do it.

"Well, we will be attending the anniversary party of the new rule, hosted by Shishio." He heard her intake of breath, but she did not let anything show through in her face, "Our mission is to be completed by one in the morning. Apparently, Shishio is planning to make an appearance, despite what happened last night."

"When is he supposed to make his appearance?"

"Midnight."

"And what is the purpose of this mission?"

He waited a few moments before answering the question, and then Kenshin replied, "We are supposed to take him out."

--

"Boy!" The door was burst open, and light poured into the room, slightly blinding Yahiko for a few moments, as his vision adjusted to the light. A heavy grip pulled him up off the bed, and the man said, "It's time you meet the boss." And before Yahiko could let out a complaint or refusal, he was being pulled out of the room and into a hallway. He was roughly led along, and then was finally stopped in front of a doorway. The man with a mohawk knocked and then said, "I have the boy."

"Enter…" A voice said, and then the door opened. Yahiko's vision fell upon Shishio only moments after being painfully pushed into the room. His wound seemed to getting better at least. Shortly after his waking up, it had been treated properly. If there were anything good he could say about this place, is that they treated wounds with disinfectant. His brown eyes saw not a man, but a mummy. He knew he shouldn't think badly of his enemy when in the same room… but he couldn't help it, or his wanting to laugh.

"You think this is funny do you?" The voice that came out through the bandages was calm, and then continued, "I suppose it would seem funny to one so young. I was your age once too you know, fifteen, mischievous, always one to get into trouble, full of pride. Yes… if our situations were reverse, as well as our ages, I would find the man in front of me very funny looking." Yahiko found it very stifling in the room suddenly, "But then again, you are looking into the eyes of the leader of all Japan, and the person who will soon be the one to unite all the major nations of the world, so that there will be one world power. I only need one more thing to accomplish this." The boy continued to remain silent. He was determined not to speak unless he were going to insult the guy who had hurt Kaoru so. She had taken him in two years ago, given him a home, and he could not forgive Shishio for all the pain, "Would you care to know how I am going to accomplish that?" Shishio waited a moment, "No? Well, I will tell you anyway." The kimono clad man walked towards the boy, "Ryo, leave us."

"Before I leave, sir, may I tell you some thing?"

"Is it important?"

"Very." Shishio then nodded, and Ryo continued, "Tonight, the Hitokiri Battousai and his comrade, Kamiya Kaoru will be making an appearance at the party. They plan to take you out."

"Take me out? Hahahaha! They can sure as hell try!" He grabbed Yahiko's shirt front, and pulled him forward, nearly lifting him off the ground, "With the boy alive, I am sure we will be able to negotiate something… Polaris, in exchange for the boy's life. Thank you Ryo, I was already informed of this little matter, however, this goes to show your loyalty towards me. You will be rewarded with… hmm… a new bike perhaps?" The man's eyes lit up at that, and he said, "Thank you sir." Then, the biker bowed low and left Yahiko with Shishio.

"Well then, where was I?" The dark eyes were staring into Yahiko's chocolate ones, "Ah, yes, I remember." He released his grip on the shirt and motioned for a cushion, in the now clean room, "Please, sit down, Yahiko."

"I am fine standing."

He looked at Yahiko for a moment, and then said, "Suit yourself. Now, I was about to tell you how I plan on uniting the world? Yes, your wonderful sister figure, Kaoru, has plans with her savior Hitokiri Battousai, to destroy me tonight by crashing my party. However, they will not succeed. And why is that?" Yahiko remained silent, "Because, I will force her to bring forth Polaris, demanding that Polaris never again try to kill me, that she will heal my wounds that were so painfully inflicted upon me for the second time in my life last night, and make sure that forever, Kamiya Kaoru will sleep. Polaris will use her powers whenever I demand them to be used. I alone have seen Polaris' full powers, but now, it shall not be so." Another pause to see if Yahiko had anything to say, "And how do I go about convincing her?" Silence, "Well, with you of course."

"YOU BASTARD!" Yahiko shouted out, "I would rather die than have her put through more hell! I know you will abuse her, even in the form of Polaris. You say you love her, but anything you love, or you say you love, once its purpose has expired, you destroy!"

"Oh, so you do speak? How nice. Well then, we will make you look presentable for tonight, and you shall see how things go shall you not?" And with that Shishio snapped his bandaged fingers together, and summoned forth a man, "Please prepare the boy for tonight, and make sure his wound is treated again. We don't want him to die before the end of the night."

"Yes, my lord." And then the man grabbed Yahiko's shoulder, and half dragged him out of the room, while Yahiko continued to rant and scream at Shishio in curses.

"Ahahaha, poor boy, you have no idea how powerful your bond with Kamiya is, that she would do anything for you to live on."

--

The car barely moved. The traffic was insane, moving at about half a meter every minute. Battousai looked at the clock that glowed gently in the radio control that was in the back seat of the car, 10:15. Kaoru noticed this, "You said that his appearance was going to be at midnight. We can't be that far from where this party is, and I'm sure the traffic is being caused by everyone going."

"Possibly." His voice was soft, "When we get there, we probably won't be recognized for who we really are. You will need to be careful to hide your katana with you sleeves however. I do know that when Shishio enters and scans the room, he will probably see you and recognize you. I hope you can negotiate with Polaris, because most likely he will try to get her out with a bribe of sorts. I don't know what he will bribe you with, but it will probably be something good." Kenshin paused and looked over at her stiff form.

He slid closer to her, and took her icy hand, and with his free hand, he placed two fingers under her chin and made her look at him, "I know Polaris wants you to sleep… but,"

"In the end… we are meant to be combined as one. I know that the last time Shishio and I had a showdown, we became two in one. I am not quite sure as to why she has suddenly had a craving to take over completely. Previously, she would have jumped at the chance to keep us combined… the only reason we didn't was because of my will." She paused to think, and then continued, "I'm sure you have noticed a few times where she seems to be there, but I am still in control? Like last night when I stabbed Shishio?" He nodded, "We were one, but I chose not to stay that way, and forced her back."

The car moved forward quickly and made a sharp turn, causing Kaoru to fall atop Kenshin. She began to laugh, and he looked bewildered. He hadn't seen her laugh like that before, in a girly way. However, the moment was cut short, as the car's brakes were slammed down and then the sound of glass and metal crunching together.

--

Oh I am evil! The cliffhanger of doom…. Ok, I'm over exaggerating. Did I not make this long or what? Well… its not that long, but over 10 pages and 5000+ words. I am suddenly obsessing over length…. It makes me worried. And yay, Yahiko is alive and well… even though he is gonna be used as bait. And, the climax of the story shall be occurring in the next chapter. I think this story will be finished within three chapters or so. I might make it longer though… there are two ways I can end this story.

Hmm… you'll see Aoshi and Misao some in the next chapter. So the computer is NOT fixed! It's horrible! I am gonna try and update this tomorrow at school… if I can get to the USB port in the god forsaken back of the computer. If not, well… at least this chapter has a date that it was finished. Thanks for your reviews guys! They are loved, and wow… I've got thirteen or so people watching me for alert. Tee hee…. So, keep reviewing so I will finish this baby! –and please forgive the crappy beta job-

- - - AND READ HAPPINESS IN SLAVERY! ONE CHAPTER UP… THE SECOND IM TRYING TO GET UP (CH 2 FINISHED) - - -

Hotaru

Date Finished: July 24, 2005


	11. chapter 11

Date started: August 10, 2005

Alright, I am back from Sendai. I am going ahead and writing this chapter up before I continue with chapter 3 of Happiness in Slavery. Thanks for the reviews you guys, they greatly encourage me to continue on. Hehehe… this chapter is hopefully gonna be the climactic one. I AM bringing Misao and Aoshi. I think I've got the pair down as playing important roles. Hehe… umm… I just need to run through my head the final run through of my imaginary outline. And then of course, Sano and Megumi. We will see them sometime this chapter, though I'm not sure as to how. No! Wait… I just thought of how. Woot. See you at the end! Please enjoy. –Hotaru

--

Butterfly Kisses

By: Hotaru

Rating: R; for language, gore, and some adult material

Standard Disclaimer:

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin in any way whatsoever. I do, however, own any characters that I may introduce as my own, and this plot line. If I catch you stealing it, you grovel at my feet and beg forgiveness, or die.

--1111

_However, the moment was cut short, as the car's brakes were slammed down and then the sound of glass and metal crunching together._

--

Kaoru was nearly flung forward, a warm arm slithering around her waist protecting her from hitting the window cover that divided the passenger compartment of the limo from the driver's section. Kenshin had managed to stay in his seat, "Holy crap, what just happened!" The woman half whispered, terror filling her voice.

The amber eyes glinted, and he seemed to sense something, "Move now, talk later. Get out of the car, now!" She simply obeyed, and the door was flung open, and the two quickly scrambled out, moving as fast as they could to escape onlookers and the now immobile street. Barely minutes later, the car blew up, erupting into flames, Kaoru's silvery eyes reflecting against the orange that filled the sky.

Surprisingly, they still looked nearly perfect in appearance, the accident or the explosion not ruining the hours work, seeing as her raven hair was still perfectly coiffed and the assassin's fine clothing not even singed. He reached for her hand, "Come on. We have to get to that party. If we don't… well, I am not sure as to what will happen."

--

Two figures watched silently from the rooftops as the car blew up. Trained, emerald eyes scanned the streets, and quickly spotted the two who were supposed to now be dead. A set of steely blue ones followed her gaze, and saw too what the other did.

A female voice came from the one with green orbs, "It seems our assassin has not lost his touch, Aoshi-sama." Her voice was filled with an amusement of sorts. Her face could not be seen, for the black mask covering her mouth and nose, yet, even if her face were uncovered, it would have been difficult to see what she looked like, due to the darkness.

The large form crouched next to her glance over, his face masked as well, and said, "Looks like we better continue watching them. That explosion was unexpected. According to my sources, Shishio has no intention of killing the girl. I would like to know who it was that set the bomb." He stood up, and walked to the left. The lithe figure of the girl quickly followed suit, "Yes. That was extremely suspicious. Is it true that the boy is alive?"

"Yes."

--

Back on the streets

**--**

The couple tried not to be noticed with their fine dress. But it was a very hard task. It was common to see a few people out in about in traditional dress, but that was normally women, a rarity to see a man dressed as he was. Let alone, in garments as fine as these. However, Kenshin would cast out deadly glares at anyone who tried to get to close. He would not fail this mission. They could not fail it. The assassin had never failed once, and he wanted to keep his perfect record… perfect.

Kaoru walked beside him, trying to hide her katana. It was a simple task really, but one that required the person to remember to keep it hidden, "We are nearly there." His voice quietly said. Kaoru's eyes stared up into his. The red head saw there were traces of silver there, whether it was a good thing or bad, he didn't know, and then there was fear. She would not admit it, he knew she wouldn't, the girl had to much pride. It seemed as though she were thinking hard. Kaoru's face was set with a determination he had not seen before, afraid she may be, but she would not fail, or she would die.

Before they entered the tall gates of the estate that looked as though it were fit for a king, Kenshin's golden eyes turned back, and then up along the buildings. His gaze fell upon two black clad figures that stood on the roof, silently watching. The man simply nodded in acknowledgement, and then returned his attention to the task at hand: get inside, and destroy Shishio.

--

A lovely young woman with dark hair and deep brown eyes entered the hall. She was dressed in a simple, yet elegant, kimono. It was lavender in color, with light blue flowers trimming the sleeves, and the obi matching the color of the flowers. Looking around, Megumi spotted a man in the hallway, and carefully walked forward and asked, "Excuse me, I am Takani Megumi. I wonder if you would be so kind as to tell me where in this magnificent building the party is being held?"

The short but dangerous looking guard looked her up and down, and then quickly nodded, "It is down the hall, and the double doors on your right lead into the room. You can't miss it." He gave her a wink, and the doctor simply ignored it, muttering her thanks, and continued on her way. She heard the doors open from the front of the building, and she knew it was more guests for the grand banquet.

She wasn't quite sure as to why she had been invited. She couldn't be of great importance. Her clinic was not well known, her skills were only known amongst her patients and few friends. Maybe one of her professors from the university had mentioned her, or maybe even the elder doctor whom she assisted. All Megumi had done was decided she better go, for fear of upsetting the tyrannous leader of her country, and took out her only fancy kimono, and simply done up her hair. And here she was, hoping that she would not find reason to become to noticed by the most likely, wealthier guests.

Finally reaching the huge double doors, she took in a deep breath, and pushed one open a little. The echoes of voices and classical music came through. Taking another breath, she tried to enter the room with the least noticeable care. She was lucky, and was greeted by only one person, a finely dressed butler, who simply asked her name. After checking the list, he beckoned for her to follow and led her to a table. There was an empty chair waiting for her. What caught the woman's attention, however, was not the seat, or the finery that decorated the large ballroom, but the man who was sitting in the seat next to the empty one. His back was turned to her, but she knew that spiky black hair anywhere. It couldn't be. Sanosuke was gone… right?

Thanking the man who had showed her her seat, she gripped the back of her chair tightly, before finally speaking to the one on her right, "Sano?"

--

Yahiko sat behind the curtains. His hands were bound in front of him. The long sleeves of his garments hid this however. He heard the laughter, the music, everything that went on in the room on the other side. The teen was afraid. Not for himself, but for Kaoru. Never before had he been so afraid in his life, afraid enough to admit it that is. His eyes were closed tightly, as he was trying to control all the emotions running through him. He wanted to die. He wish he had when the gun had fired at him not days before. Rather die, then let Kaoru go through the shock of seeing someone she thought dead, alive, and then be blackmailed into turning herself over to Shishio.

Yahiko did not know much of the Polaris Shishio spoke so fondly of. All he knew was the Polaris was an alter ego that Kaoru turned into, and that this other self was powerful. Nonetheless, it was still his sister figure. '_God, if there even is a God in this forsaken world, you sure as hell better keep her safe!_' It was the last thing the teen could think of to do. He was not a strong believer in religion, he didn't really have one he believed in. Yet, he knew of the God the Christians at the orphanages he'd been stuck in, had so persistently tried to convert him to. They said 'God answered prayers.' If there was an 'all powerful being' now would be a perfect time for it to show itself.

--

The two finally made it to the front of the building where there were a few others going inside as well. Entering, Kenshin looked around, as did Kaoru. The girl seemed not to be surprised, as though she had been here before, "So, he just keeps on adding to his crappy fortune." She quietly let the bitter words escape her lips. At least the assassin's thoughts were confirmed. He might have known, considering that she and Shishio had some form of a past relationship.

Her eyes were blue again, he noted, "Do you know how you are going to do things?" He couldn't help asking.

Looking up at the red head, Kaoru hesitantly nodded her head, "I tried to talk with Polaris. She said that if Shishio were to do anything to hurt me she would come help. She wants nothing more than for him to be dead. I just… it's that I don't want her to come out as herself alone. That's what I am afraid she will do. She doesn't want us to be merged as one anymore, like she used to. She thinks that if I sleep, she can take care of things on her own," Pausing, the blue eyes grew distant, "What she doesn't realize is that she has finally made a mistake. Without me, she won't be able to achieve what Shishio expects her to achieve, and that would mean our death."

He seemed a little surprised at her words, and indeed, the man was. He sensed wisdom within her, something that had been of lacking not more than a few hours ago. The red head knew it was Kaoru speaking, and felt she deserved more respect than ever. Things would go well, he knew it. When the two entered the room, they were greeted by the same butler whom had escorted Takani Megumi to her seat. The girl remained silent, as the assassin had told her to do, and he gave the butler the two false names they had assumed, "Right this way, Iwamoto-sama, Uemura-sama." Kenshin sent out his ki, searching for any familiar blood. Shortly, he noticed Sanosuke and Megumi, who seemed to be off in a darker corner behind some curtains, having an argument of sorts. Then next person he noticed was Shishio, however, he was far from the party. The next person his mind sensed, shocked him. He felt the presence of someone who was supposed to be dead. His golden eyes opened wide in a mixture of worry and shock.

Soon after being seated, the man loosely grasped Kaoru's arm, and said, "Would you mind if we stepped outside for a moment? There's something I need to tell you." Looking up into his eyes, Kaoru replied with a hint of worry, "Of course. What is it? Something's bothering you."

"It can wait till we are out of hearing range of everyone." Then he stood up, and Kaoru quickly followed suit, and followed Kenshin out two doors that led to a small pavilion that was relatively deserted. Facing her, he looked down to meet her blue orbs, "Look… I just searched around to see if there were any familiar faces around… and, well… there is-"

Then he was abruptly cut off, as a woman entered the area, "KAORU?" It was Megumi, Sanosuke following closely behind her. Kenshin wanted to do something drastic after the interruption. He needed to tell Kaoru who he had noticed. She needed to know so she wouldn't go and do something stupid, "Me-megumi." Kaoru quietly said, and then quickly made her way towards her doctor and friend, and meeting with an embrace.

"Oh my god, Kaoru. I was so worried. All I knew was who you were with and that made me even more-"

"Takani-san, you should not be here. You should not be seen with Sanosuke. It is far to dangerous right now." The assassin's calm voice rang in the air. Sano simply stood behind them, not saying a word, "I know you just had a little argument, made up, etc, but, you want to know why he has not spoken to you for months. There was good reason that he disappeared. He cannot tell you anything until this is all over."

Megumi's brown eyes looked confused, as she stared at the Hitokiri, still embracing Kaoru, "What do you mean! He told me he-"

"I am sorry, kitsune," Sano's deep voice finally spoke, "I can not give you a good explanation as to why I disappeared, not yet anyhow." Kenshin bobbed his head in agreement, and they seemed to wait for Kaoru to also agree. Looking at her dearest friend, Kaoru gently said, "Soon, very soon, you can know what all has happened. Maybe even after tonight. But, believe me, don't let Shishio see you two together, except for acquaintance sake."

Megumi seemed at a total loss for what to say. She was thinking that everything was perfect, now that she had found her lost lover. He had told her that he had lost all contact information, and any form of contact with the outside world was not possible. He said he had gone to the rural of Japan, and that things continued to happen, preventing him from getting home. It made sense. What the three had just agreed to, however, had confused her, "Kaoru, what do you mean? What's going on?"

Sad blue eyes met the confused murky brown ones, "I am so sorry Megumi." Then, her eyes flashed a very dark silver, all traces of blue leaving. It seemed like Polaris was becoming more powerful within Kaoru's mind, for the voice that came out was not the girl's, but the alter ego, and the eyes turned black, "This will be painless, but you must not be allowed to interfere what will happen tonight." And then, two slender hands reached up to the tall girl's head, and pressing her finger's against Megumi's temples, she said, "Go to sleep for a little while. When you wake up, everything will be as it should be." Then, the doctor's eyes grew weary, and almost immediately, she passed out. Sano ran forward, to catch the girl's body before she hit the ground.

Polaris seemed to become very dizzy, and she walked unsteadily towards the balcony's edge, and tightly grasped the banister, so tightly her knuckles turned white. Kenshin walked over to her, and asked sharply, "What did you just do to Takani-san?" The midnight eyes looked up at him, "I simply made her sleep. She will not wake up until I have accomplished what needs to be done." The girl's face was pale. Whatever she had done must have taken some sort of affect on her body, "Have Kaoru back. When Shishio comes, I will come out and take care of everything. I will not allow for history to repeat itself, for if it were to do so this time around, the consequences would be far worse."

"Wait! I need to tell-" But, before Kenshin could tell the woman what he wanted to, Polaris left, and then it was Kaoru's blue eyes that were looking up at him.

"Oh god… what happened?" She groggily asked, "Why do I feel so tired… I feel as if I'm all cold inside…"

"It's ok. Polaris put Megumi to sleep for awhile. It took an effect on your body somehow." Looking back at Sano, carrying the now sleeping Megumi, "Sanosuke, we need to find a safe place for her to sleep. Things could get nasty, and we don't want her getting hurt."

Nodding in agreement, Sano said, "I'll get her somewhere safe." And then he left carrying the limp body of Kaoru's friend.

Kenshin brought his attention back to Kaoru, "Are you alright?" He rested his hands on her small shoulders. She was looking out into the night sky. It was as if she hadn't heard him. Pointing out to a specific star, her voice quietly said, "Polaris, the north star. So beautiful, shining up in its spot in the sky." She felt the heat from his hands seep into her skin, through the thick folds of the kimono. The chilling breeze blew, yet not a hair came loose, "I always loved the stars. Polaris… I believe she came from her star." Kaoru turned around so that she was facing her savior, "If I were to die, I believe that is where I would go. To the stars." It sounded as though she were giving her obituary, her words so calm, yet so sad, "This might be the last time we see each other in a peaceful environment, just the two of us." Leaning into his broad chest, she allowed him to embrace her tightly. She relished in his warmth. So much different than what she was used to. Then, she looked up at him with her eyes, and she changed the mood, "So, let's have fun with it and enjoy it!" Then quickly, she brought her face to his and gave him a quick kiss, and ended it as quickly as she began it.

Standing there for a minute, the assassin tried to take in everything that happened just then. She seemed to be recovered from the whole ordeal with Megumi, and seemed to be happy. He knew it was an act, the change of mood. She sounded to sad and serious moments earlier to just change the mood for real. He looked back down at her eyes that were trying so hard to smile, and promised huskily, "I will protect you." And then he kissed her; not a quick, stolen one, but a deep passionate kiss.

They pulled away from each other, warmed by each others heat, and Kaoru flushed slightly. And then she made her way back into the room where the party was going on. Before following her, Battousai looked up and spotted the two from before standing on a roof not far from him. He knew exactly who they were. He was grateful that they had come to help. They had their own reasons for disliking Shishio, and luckily, they were good ones. Quickly, Kenshin looked back and followed Kaoru so as not to loose her. He intended to keep his promise to protect her.

--

PLEASE PUSH THE PRETTY LITTLE BUTTON AND GIVE ME A REVIEW OR TWO. I HAVE 2000+ HITS DAMNIT, SO… WHY NOT 2000 REVIEWS! COME ON… BE NICE. AND READ HAPPINESS IN SLAVERY. CHAPTER 4 WILL BE UP SOON.

Ok, I hope I gave you guys enough fluffy shit. Sorry if it has any grammatical errors etc... i didnt beta it. Hmm… ok, I cut this chapter off long before I intended to… the chapter could be twice as long, but it's been two weeks, maybe more now since I updated this story, so I want to put this up so you who keep badgering me to update soon, will get your update! Not that badgering is bad, it is good because I then, indeed update. It took far to long to update I think. Mainly I blame Sendai, and the reading of a Fruits Basket fic, as well as a lot of festivals and excursions. Ya, so, now we have the other four in here, Misao, Aoshi, Megumi, and Sano. I am sorry, I'm not giving Megumi that important of a role in the fighting, but she will definitely be needed eventually. I swear, next chapter we'll see Shishio and his big plan go into action. Will he succeed? Or will something else happen? I have decided to take the longer route in finishing this story. WHY? Because it will make it more angsty and torturous. I feel like torturing some characters ok? Maybe not just physically too. YAY! I'm gonna be mean… wait… is that a good or a bad thing?

Please review, be nice and you'll get a sooner update! –When I get back from Kyoto that is… I'll be gone the 22nd-24th-

Hotaru


	12. chapter 12

Date Started: August 26, 2005

Alright, thank you for your responses on the last chapter! Reviews make me feel special, but I fear I have become addicted to them… something I did NOT want to happen. Kyoto was a special place and I hope to go back there someday, which I probably will. I am sorry some people thought that there was not enough of a fluffy moment. I enjoy writing fluff, but I don't want things to happen to quickly! I hate it when some people move the romance too fast… it's like, they meet and the next day they are already in each other's pants. There will be the very much wanted very fluffy scene before the end of the story, don't worry! I just don't want to have the scene until the right moment. Now then, time for the final parts of this story to begin. Everything, will fall into place very soon. I think I know exactly how I will end it, especially since I am going the longer route to be mean to characters. Ahem… please, RxR!

--

Butterfly Kisses

By: Hotaru

Rating: R; for language, gore, and some adult material

Standard Disclaimer:

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin in any way whatsoever. I do, however, own any characters that I may introduce as my own, and this plot line. If I catch you stealing it, you grovel at my feet and beg forgiveness, or die.

--

Kaoru sat down at her seat, and quietly studied the string orchestra that was playing its music. She barely noticed the red head come sit next to her she was so busy scrutinizing and thinking at once. What if the bribe Shishio were to use were impossible to refuse? What if she had to relent, and give herself over to the devil of a man, and force Polaris to obey him? '_To many what ifs!_' There was nothing she could think of that he would threaten that would be impossible to refuse. He could say he would kill Kenshin, but the assassin could not be killed so easily, he could defend himself, and seemed impossible to kill at this point. She was sure Shishio did not know of her friendship with Megumi, but Megumi was currently in the care of Sano, who would protect her to no ends, and was a skilled fighter as well. Nothing else in the world mattered to her, aside from the few people she knew.

Noticing a tall, grandfather clock, she saw the hands read 11:45. '_Only fifteen minutes…_' She tightly clutched her napkin, wringing it tightly with her hands. The food that was placed in front of her was left untouched. She had lost her appetite long ago. The room seemed stifling, as though she couldn't breathe. The girl was tempted to return to the patio outside, but turned down the idea, for it was to close to the appointed time that Shishio presented himself. She refused to look at Kenshin. She was afraid that if she were to look into those beautiful eyes, she would break down. It was obvious that he still wanted to tell her something, but she could not listen to anything he would say right now. This was far to worrisome. Keeping the strong appearance in front of him was becoming very hard. Everything seemed to finally be catching up to her. Things were happening to fast. She was not ready to do this. '_STOP putting yourself down! You have to be strong! After all this, you can finally relax._' The girl argued with herself. She knew that if she weakened any, Polaris would know, and force Kaoru to go to sleep, forever staining her blue eyes black.

That little problem still confused her. What was it that was causing Polaris to want complete control over her?

11:55

A small bead of sweat tricked down from her brow, along the side of her face. Running one hand along the sheath of her katana, she felt comforted that she had a form of self protection. She never wanted the sword in the hands of Shishio again. It meant to much to her. The blue eyed girl was grateful that she was skilled in the sword. She might not be the best, but she was good.

-DONG-DONG-DONG-DONG-DONG-DONG-DONG-DONG-DONG-DONG-DONG-DONG-

The clock struck midnight.

--

Shishio glanced past the curtain, "There you are my beauty…" The quiet voice hungrily said, "So beautiful tonight you are…" Yahiko sat several feet away, utterly disgusted by the lust in the man's voice. The man was grandly dressed, and despite the nasty wrappings, he looked rather dashing. Turning around to face the young boy, the ruler stated, "And tonight, my boy, you will finally run free. Don't worry, I won't hurt her to much."

"Bastard! You have wounded her far worse than any man could wound a woman! You lie. I know you will beat her, rape her, abuse her powers." The boy's brown eyes were filled with fury, and if it weren't for the bonds around his wrists and ankles, he would have attacked the man. Constant struggling with his bonds had caused his wrists to bleed. His ankles were not so bad, because of the traditional socks protecting them, but they too burned from the heat of the cloth.

They both quieted as the clock chimed it's hour, one with a look of joy, the other with hate, "Now, dear child, you will see how strong your bond with her is. Say hello to your freedom. Have a nice life!" And with that, Shishio walked out into the crowd, leaving the boy to his own fury.

--

Two sets of eyes looked down upon the room, filled with guests of every nation, from high up in a dark rafter of the ceiling, "What do you think he will do?"

"I am not sure… Battousai simply said that tonight Shishio would introduce himself to the world, and make a proposition. He said tonight was the night for him to be killed."

--

Sanosuke silently watched the woman he loved as she slept peacefully. He was worried, more worried than he had been when he had to leave. Megumi should not have to be involved in all this. What if Shishio knew about his love for her? The female doctor would then be in great danger. He had taken her to the hallway, and asked one of the guards where she could be put. He told the guard that she was sitting next to him, and then she suddenly passed out.

The guard looked worried, and quickly showed him a small room that was far from the main party, that had a small couch and a chair, saying that Sano could stay with her so if she woke up she wouldn't be alone. It was the perfect opportunity for him to just simply watch her. He distantly heard the clock ring twelve, "Good luck Battousai, Kaoru."

--

The room erupted with loud applause, as the ruler of Japan walked onto the small stage, and stepped up to the podium. The people were not daunted by his wrapped up face and hands. It was simply something that could not be done, for this was one of the most powerful men in the world. He smiled eagerly, welcoming the attention. Kaoru saw him stare right at her, those eyes that she feared so, but continued to stare into them trying to let him know she was not afraid of him. Shishio looked away as soon as he saw her acknowledge that he knew she was there, and then motioned his hands for silence. She moved her arm and tightly grasped Kenshin's wrist, but still did not look at him.

The red head saw how pale she was, how her hand shook as it gripped his arm, how her eyes filled with so much fear. He didn't know whether he should tell her about the boy who was supposed to be dead. He knew he should… but if he told her here, she might cause a scene that could not take place. The assassin was struggling with what little of a conscience he still had.

"Ladies and gentlemen, from near and far, I welcome you tonight to the yearly anniversary of the new rule. These past years have been glorious, Japan has become a key country in the world's development. Our technology, has improved the conditions of the world. My colleagues have researched like no others, they have gone the extra stretch." He paused as he looked around the room, as though looking each person in the face, and that included Kaoru and Kenshin, "Tonight, I will show you how this work has paid off. I will show you, how we have come to a conclusion, on uniting the planet Earth to one world power, through peaceful transactions!" Again, the man looked straight at Kaoru.

By now, her grip was hurting the assassin's arm, but he did not tell her. She was far to afraid. He whispered into her ear, "Whatever you do, don't do anything that will make the public suspect anything. If he asks you to go forward, do so. Remember to keep your weapon hidden, and go along with things. All of this should be kept low profile until the two ninja and I take action." She finally looked at him. He saw her fear, but she nodded agreement. He thought he better tell her now, "Look… you MUST know-" He was cut off again, as Shishio's voice beckoned, "I now call Kamiya Kaoru-sama forward."

Everyone looked in the direction that the powerful leader was looking. Kaoru's blue eyes turned to the stage in fear disguised as surprise. All eyes on her, she felt Kenshin squeezer her shoulder gently and then quietly whispered for her to stand up. Slowly, the young woman stood. She was trembling, her knees weak. She thought that at any moment she would pass out or be sick. But that didn't happen. She kept her hands folded in front of her, the long sleeves of her beautiful kimono successfully hiding her katana. Kaoru made her way to the stage as steadily as she could, keeping her eyes on the ground, watching her sandal clad feet head towards the stage, making sure she wouldn't trip over anything.

The steps up to the stage were in front of her. It felt like it took hours for her to reach them, when it had actually took less than a minute. She hadn't passed out, she hadn't become sick. The raven haired girl went up the steps, and then she was there. Kaoru was on the stage, standing next to the man she feared, despised, hated the most in the world. The man who she had seen for the first time in three or four years only the night before. He then, continued on with his speech, "Now, Kamiya-sama, has been blessed with a power far more extraordinary than any power ever known to man. We will go backstage now for a few moments, so that she can prepare for what will be shown to you, the POWER to create our world peace! If you will excuse us." She hadn't expected to have to go back stage. She was already afraid as it was, but now having to be away from the careful eye of the Battousai, she was more fearful.

Shishio touched her. It caused a shiver to run down her spine. He kept his hot hand on her shoulder, as he guided her to behind the curtain that separated the stage from a room she had known, when they were in love. He led her out of that room, and carefully guided her to another. They did not speak, Kaoru to fearful to say anything, and Shishio simply relishing in it. The moment the door was shut, he bolted it shut so that no one could enter. His greedy eyes turned to her, and he finally spoke, "My… do you look lovely tonight. I have never seen you so beautiful my dear." Anger was starting to overcome her fear, and she felt she would yell at him for what he was telling her, but she kept quiet. The man walked forward, and the woman took a step back. The process continued, until Kaoru was finally cornered at a wall, '_STUPID!_' He ran a bandaged finger along her cheek, she felt his steamy breath upon her neck.

"Why did you have to be so cruel? Why did you have to torture my body so? Why did you make my days so painful?" He asked her innocently. Kaoru moved her head back trying to escape his presence. He had a finger under her chin, forcing her to look up at him, into his black eyes, "What did I ever do to cause you to hate me so? We used to love each other… if you would only cooperate-"

"You simply want me for my power you ass!" She spat out at him, "And you will not have it!"

His eyes filled with amusement as Shishio smirked, "Aren't you fiery?" He paused momentarily, "But, what you don't realize, is that I WILL have your power. I am offering something you can not ever refuse."

"There is nothing you can bribe me with that will make me even consider doing what you want." Shishio thought she looked so beautiful when she was angry. He knew she was afraid, but that her anger was more powerful. He let out a sigh, and walked away from her and then pushed a button by the door, "Bring in… the proposal." Kaoru moved away from her corner in the wall and made sure that she was as far away from Shishio as she could be. He watched her in amusement, and then heard a knock on the door. Immediately, the man unbolted it, and opened the door. The girl couldn't see who was at the doorway, she was behind it. When the door shut, however, she barely stifled a scream as she fell to the floor, a hand over her mouth.

Yahiko.

"No… he… he's dead! Your men killed him!" Her eyes were brimming in tears. The boy was struggling with his bonds, his hands and feet bound with ropes, his mouth covered with duct tape.

"Don't you realize my dear? I saved his life. He was near death when we got there… but I did not allow him to simply die. He was not ever supposed to be killed. The bullet was for you, to wound you enough so we could bring you here… but this worked out far better than ever thought." He shut the door again repeating the bolting process, "Now, here is the proposition." Shishio walked over to the trembling girl, who was sitting on the ground, "You will first off, heal me of my scarred body. Second, you will make sure that your little assassin and those smelly ninja and the brat Sanosuke do NOT interfered. You will go to them as soon as I let you out of this room, and tell them that they must leave and not attempt to kill me. Third, you will relent to every request I ask." He looked at her again, her face still a look of horror, "Got that? All of that, in exchange for the boy's life and freedom, as well as the safety of your companions and friends. I do not break my treaties. He will be safe, as will the other. Never will my men go after them again."

She asked an unexpected question, "You have not asked that I forever sleep? I am surprised."

"Ahhahaha, yes, that is what I wanted at first… but after seeing you now, so beautiful, I realize that not only do I want Polaris, I want YOU. You will force Polaris to emerge when I please, preferably both of you as one. As she said so many years ago, you are far more powerful as one."

She continued sitting there. Her hand tightly grasped her still hidden weapon. She was tempted to unsheathe it and kill Shishio on the spot, but Kenshin had told her not to do anything until she was told to, and now that Yahiko's life was at stake, again, she would not risk it. The boy was far to valuable to her. She valued his life over hers. If she accepted, Shishio would allow Yahiko to go free, to live his life in peace. One thing she knew, was that the evil man would not break his treaty. When he made one, he abided by the rules.

"Think about what would happen if you decided to go against the bargain. You could kill me, yes, you could, but before you could do that the boy would already be dead. Believe me, I know you carry the weapon on you, it was quite obvious from the start by the way you carried yourself," He let out a laugh, "If I didn't know you so well, Kaoru, I would not suspect a thing." Kaoru was thinking of what would happen. She could become his little tool for his world domination, and she would at least know Yahiko and ones she loved were safe.

--

Kenshin was beginning to become extremely worried. The two had been off stage now for almost twenty minutes. Time was going to run short. He could not sense their presence, and he was confused as to why. People were quietly talking as though nothing were wrong. He wanted to go off and find her, but remained at his seat. He heard people talking about their thoughts on the whole plan:

_Wow… world peace… I have never had such confidence in a man to complete the task._

_This girl, I wonder how she can be the one to shape a worldwide nation?_

_Kamiya… Kamiya… I swear I have heard that name before!_

_Hah! World peace, many have tried and all have failed. This will be a laugh!_

Finally getting fed up with it all, the assassin placed his hands on the table getting ready to stand up, when the whole room went silent, as they saw a figure emerge from the curtains. It was Kaoru. Everyone stared, as eyes followed her beautiful figure walk from the stage, and make her way towards the table that the red head sat at. When she reached it, he saw a look in her eyes that he had never seen before: defeat.

She leaned over and quietly said in his ear, "I am so sorry. You must not kill him. You must leave now, as well as Sanosuke and the two ninja he spoke of." Tears filled her cerulean orbs, but they did not fall, "He made an offer I could not refuse. Don't worry, he will not kill me. You, and the others will be safe." She turned his face and then set a gentle kiss upon his lips, and then she turned around and said, "Now go, if you don't he WILL kill me." And Kaoru went back to the stage, and behind the curtain, as though she had never left the area.

_Now THAT was something. She looked so sad… I guess that was the breakup?_

_Such a sweet couple!_

He didn't know what to do. He could do as he was told and leave, guaranteeing her life to be safe, as well as the lives of everyone else. Or, he could stay, risk her death and then there would be success of the mission. He would rather die than have her life in more jeopardy than it had been. So, Kenshin did the only thing he could think of: he stood up and left the building, looking up to the rafters signaling for them to leave, and then went off in search of Sanosuke.

--

"See… now that wasn't so hard." A smooth hand held the back of her neck, "Now, let us show the world what your power has done!" The tears finally fell down her cheeks, as she peered out seeing the man she had begun to care for leave. She was glad he would be safe. He was strong, but there were other ways to kill. She knew Yahiko was most likely being driven home now. He was most likely furious with her for what she had done, but that was ok. He too, was safe.

She no longer needed to hide her katana. It was probably resting now on a small rack in the mast bedroom, where it had once rested. She quickly wiped her tears. From now on she would not cry. She would have to be strong for the safety of those she loved. The man behind her told her, "Now, my love, now." She simply nodded and he let go of his hold on her. Then, walking forward, he walked past the curtains, and Kaoru followed right behind him.

The crowd went silent again. People stared in awe at the transformation that had taken place. Shaggy black hair brushed his eyebrows, his skin, flawed only by a few scars, showed off his lovely features, "You see, fellow people, this woman's power, has healed me of wounds that I have suffered for years. She just now, healed! What can you say to that?" He paused letting the words sink in, "With her generous offer to heal, she could heal millions of sick children in third world countries. Not only that! Her powers are far more than that. The hunger that spreads throughout the world will disappear! We can make this world survive! With no more people dying of sickness, the human race will be strong again, like it was in the beginning!" Another moments pause, "Another great power she possesses, is the power to destroy evil! What would you say to no more terrorism? She does not kill, she simply makes people realize what is the true good, and know that the evil they were committing was wrong! I tell you now, consider this offer! I will contact all of you soon, for your answer. Good night, good people of the world, and have a safe trip home!"

His speech was ended with a huge round of applause. Many people stood, already spouting out agreement to the plan. Shishio simply bowed and turned around to leave the stage. He looked at her hard, and motioned for her to bow as well and to leave like he was doing. She simply did as she was told, and followed him.

--

They now stood in her former bedroom. Yes, she had had a bedroom in this mansion. It looked the same as she had left it, a full size bed with four posters, covered in pale sheets. A small dresser next to it, a full length mirror and a door leading to a closet and another to her own bathroom, "No doubt you wish to stay here?" Kaoru did not answer him, and just stood looking off into nothing. Just because she was now practically a slave to him, it didn't mean she had to speak, "Aah… you my pet, are so amusing." He sat on the bed leisurely, "A silent beauty… what must I do to get you to speak?" Standing back up he walked towards her, "Come dear, I am sure you are tired." He slithered an arm around her stiff, obi-bound waist.

Shishio guided her to the bed as though she were a child, "Now, now, it won't be all that bad." He gave her a now perfect smile, "Just like old times?" He touched her cheek, brushing his fingers lightly along her cheekbone. He leaned in to kiss her, but she pulled away, her back against the headboard, "Always hard to get." A slight sound of aggression was in his voice. He tried again, and was successful, as he brought her head forward and he kissed her hungrily, relishing in her sweet taste. She resisted, but soon she was breathless from her struggles, and felt herself weaken. The man was far stronger than her now.

--

Wow... sooner than normal!

Hehehe… yay! Next chapter will be filled with pretty torture, and it has already begun. Umm… don't shoot me yet. I mean, how could she refuse? This was something that she could not just let fly. Ahem… well then, what do you think? Do you think Shishio will really have Kaoru heal the sick, create greater food supply, and get rid of evil? Is he really that kind hearted or is he doing what he does with many people? BRAINWASHING them? Well then, I have begun realizing I am forgetting some of my vocabulary. Words that I used to know and SHOULD know, I am forgetting. I guess that is what I get for living here in Japan… but that is NOT good! I must find a book to read so I can re-remember my English! –SIGH- Anywho, reviews are greatly appreciated, thanks for reviewing the last chapter. The plot thickens! What will they all do? Till next chapter! Hotaru

GO READ HAPPINESS IN SLAVERY WOOT!

Date finished: August 27, 2005


	13. chapter 13

September 7, 2005

Well, things just had to go wrong didn't they? My laptop's entire system was shut down. Fortunately I have everything on backup files, with the exception of the manga translatations of D.Gray-man that I began. That pissed me off because I spent three hours doing them. So, my updates will be less frequent, if you did not already see that on my user info, until I return to the United States to restore my laptop back to life. Stupid me forgetting my restoration discs… well, anyway. I am sorry! But the majority rules, and so I will make the story longer, and if that makes Kenshin look like a smelly bastard worse than Shishio then so be it. But, he will definitely get back in good standards in the end. He will deserve everyone's undying love and devotion! Let us see how much torture I will put them both through by the end of the tale. Hotaru

--

Butterfly Kisses

By: Hotaru

Rating: R; for language, gore, and some adult material

Standard Disclaimer:

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin in any way whatsoever. I do, however, own any characters that I may introduce as my own, and this plot line. If I catch you stealing it, you grovel at my feet and beg forgiveness, or die.

--

"Damnit!" A fist punched into the wall, making cracks run along from the source of it, "How could I let this happen! I should have fucking told her!" Battousai was in a dimly lit room. With him were Sanosuke, an unconscious Megumi, and the two ninja, Aoshi and Misao, and off in a small corner, Yahiko. The second he had looked into Kaoru's pleading eyes, he could not have refused her. Now that he was not in her presence, now that he knew it was impossible to retrieve her, he regretted his actions the night before. He should not have left. He should have stayed there, tried to help her.

_But no, her life was at risk._

That thought kept going through his mind. The assassin kept battling that thought in his head. He knew Shishio would not kill her, but he would cause her much pain. Scanning the room with his dangerous gold eyes, he spotted the young teenager who was isolated from everyone else. The man's hand moved to the hilt of his sword, clicking it slightly out of the sheath, "YOU! You are the cause for her being in the hands of that son of a bitch!" Sanosuke immediately went to the irrational man, grasping both of his arms tightly behind his back, and then with his other free hand, the spiky haired man took the assassin's sword.

Yahiko had not even flinched when the distraught one had threatened him. The boy was experiencing a trauma of his own. A trauma of guilt, and the Battousai's words only encouraged the thought that he was worthless. That he really should have died when he was shot. The wound wasn't healed completely yet, he could just stop treating it and let it get infected. Then he could die. But what would his death bring? More pain to Kaoru, more pain to the girl who had given herself in to save his own life. The boy was slowly sinking deeper and deeper into depression, through his self loathing.

"Get a hold of yourself Kenshin! It is NOT his fucking fault."

Sanosuke's words seemed to make the man less wanton of killing the boy. Sano finally released his grip on the red head. The ninja silently watched, their eyes taking in all that was around them. Looking around again, Kenshin let out a sigh of bitterness, and made his way towards the door, "I'm going to get her back. If it is that last thing I do." Then he left, leaving everyone else in the room to think their own thoughts.

--

Kaoru slowly woke up, her body aching. She didn't want to leave her only sanctuary, her only realm of peace, sleep. However, there wasn't much she could do, as she became more aware of her surroundings. The girl sat up from the bed that any girl would die to have; Kaoru thinking of it as a prison, a reminder of what she now was. Again she felt the pain course through her entire body. There was barely a place that did not hurt. She pulled back the covers from her naked body. The room was freezing cold, but she ignored it.

Quietly, not wanting anyone to know she was awake, Kaoru made her way towards the bathroom, where she could see how bad it was. Indeed, there were bruises upon her, her face 'conveniently' left untouched. Next, she looked at the scars that laced her body, constant reminders of what she had gone through; trying to escape to a freedom she would never have again. The evil man had commented on them, saying he never meant for his men to flaw her. Just to scare her.

When Kaoru had refused to utter a sound the night before, he had become angry. He had begun the painful beating, but still she remained silent.

'_Those eyes_,' the image of those terrifying black eyes that she never wanted to look at again. She wanted so badly to murder the man in cold blood. The second she could, she would give him a very painful death. Kaoru would summon forth her most powerful self and kill him. However, he had taken her sword, the sword that meant everything to her, that gave her the most strength. He most likely had gone and put it up on display in his room, so that he could be reminded daily, that he had her.

After having stared at herself for well over ten minutes, she thought, '_Maybe I should kill myself. End it all. That would be the end to my pain. It would sure as hell make the bastard unhappy, and then Kenshin could no longer worry…_' She knew he would try to get her back. He would die to get her back. She sensed it. She knew it. Kaoru could finally admit to herself the feeling that had been growing within her was love for this man. Love. Everything about the dangerous Hitokiri Battousai, Kenshin Himura, made her want to be near him, be in his warm embrace, and never want to go away from him. Now she knew that, after realizing how painful it was to leave the safety of his presence.

The thought made her unusually happy, and determined, and she knew she could not kill herself. She would fight on, so that she could see him again and feel safe. She would remain the silent slave to Shishio, until she could finally turn against him, and kill him. Kaoru had not uttered a single sound the night before, and it would remain that way. Hopefully, it would not be too long. Hopefully, Kaoru and Polaris could find a way to combine themselves to an ultimate power far greater than ever before, and finally fix everything that the bastard of a leader had created. THEY WOULD DO IT.

--

PRESS THE BUTTON AND SHOWER ME WITH LOVE OR HATE. IF ITS HATE, MAKE IT CONSTRUCTIVE HATE, NOT FOOLISH HATE.

Yes, this is VERY VERY VERY short. I know that. Why is it so short? Well, I have thought it through, and realized that this story is basically two parts. Part one, was what happened leading up to chapter 12. Chapter 13, here, is basically an interlude of sorts, letting you get a main idea of what happened immediately afterwards. Next chapter will be set maybe two or three months later, so we get to see what all Shishio has made Kaoru/Polaris do to the world so far, see how Kenshin has progressed in his plan to get Kaoru back, etc. So, ya, next chapter basically starts part two and when part two is ended, the story is through.

Date finished: September 8, 2005


	14. chapter 14

Date started: September 21, 2005

Hello, this chapter is gonna take me longer than a few days to write it, cause I am going to be writing two chapters at once, this one, and then one for a different story. No, not Happiness in Slavery either. Tah, hope you like. And, I am sorry I forgot to explain how Yahiko ended up with the gang… I will include a flashback or something to have that worked out. Also, this story may seem predictable, but you just wait! It is probably going to be predictable for a chapter or so more…. But ooh… when it comes, you will see. NOT WHAT YOU EXPECTED.

--

Butterfly Kisses

By: Hotaru

Rating: R; for language, gore, and some adult material

Standard Disclaimer:

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin in any way whatsoever. I do, however, own any characters that I may introduce as my own, and this plot line. If I catch you stealing it, you grovel at my feet and beg forgiveness, or die.

--

Two weeks before New Year's – Two months later

--

She panted for breath, as she was near utter exhaustion. Kaoru had had to do it again. She had had to kill innocent, helpless ones again. It seemed all that she had been doing the past two months was be made to "heal" the helpless and sick. A plague like death to those in third world countries, where those strong enough would survive the massive force she put on their bodies. In the end, it looked like Ebola. No one had survived as of yet, and she knew millions more would die within the next few months.

The news covered all these mysterious deaths. The third world countries were simply reported to have massive Ebola plagues and that there would be no admittance in or out of these countries.

Kaoru looked thin, thinner than she normally was that is. Her skin was deathly pale; her blue eyes were beginning to look dead. Shishio had been sure she was taken care of, given enough food, clothes, anything a woman could need or want. She had been eating little of the food, never dressed according to the weather, and made sure of it she looked like hell, just for Shishio. Barely two weeks after having lived in her old residence, the man had to have attendants in her room to make sure she was dressed properly.

"Kenshin…" The word quietly left her dry lips. The door opened and she saw HIM come in. She continued with her collapsed position on the ground, hands holding herself up on her knees.

The sly voice spoke, "Don't tell me you are still pining over that man? He doesn't care for you. If he did, he would have come and tried to save you by now." Anger flickered in her eyes, "It couldn't have been that bad. I mean, they are just people who were going to die anyway. They were weak. If they were strong, they would have survived it." He leaned down, and placed his hands on her shoulder. She flinched away from him, and managed to stand up. She was tempted to yell something back at him, but refrained, knowing it would only encourage him, "It is all going towards making a stronger human race my dear. Wouldn't you love to see the human beings in this world, strong, strong enough to defend themselves from terrible things, such as the force that you present upon them?"

Shishio was trying hard, really hard, to get her to speak, as it was a very difficult task to do. He had been at it since the first night. When she didn't reply, he hit her, when she didn't cry out, he hit her more. And, now, as she continued to glare up into his cold eyes, she remained silent, and then he struck her, for the first time, on the face. Fear had been lost long ago. The blows were useless, they did not pain her. What hurt her was the killing, and the fact that she was a puppet, a weakling.

Every time she had to pull out Polaris, it became harder to come back. She more and more often wanted to stay asleep and away from all this. Kaoru knew if she asked Polaris for it, Polaris would give it to her. '_No… there is Kenshin… he cares for me. I know he does. He'll come back and rescue me from this mess._'

--

"Time for you to die." Blood splattered onto both faces. The golden eyes were colder than ever, and sharp features of his face more defined. The red hair looked darker, deeper of a color. Flinging the hot liquid from his blade, Battousai gave one last look at his victim, lying dead upon the floor. He turned around, and left the scene, never looking back.

He walked up to a car, got into the back seat, and the headlights turned on as it started up, and made its way elsewhere. The driver spoke up, "How did it go?"

"No witnesses."

The car pulled over, and the driver turned around, revealing himself as Hiko, "When do you plan on doing it?" Silence reigned, "You know what I am talking about."

The assassin was looking out the window to the left. His boss had parked outside the building that he had last scene Kaoru in. Sure, the young woman was on the news at times, but only sometimes, and even then, it was only moments. The last time she had been seen, he noticed she was looking for the worse. She was holding on, but he didn't know how long she would last. Hiko was right, the time was getting closer. From the first day, they had been planning.

Yahiko as well. He wanted to redeem himself for the guilt he let fall upon him. After being grabbed by Sanosuke, after having been spotted on the streets not far from the establishment, the boy had been in his care. The boy had not said much during the time, but he was smart. The ninja, Aoshi and Misao, were very helpful for snooping about. Megumi had finally awoken. It seemed that Polaris knew she was safe for now.

Looking back at his boss, he said, "Very soon, we will take action. I would have done so sooner, but Sanosuke refused, saying this needs to be carefully planned."

Kenshin himself, had fallen back into his own ways. He was back at his assassinations. The man needed some way to get the hatred he built up within himself, out. If he didn't he knew he would become irrational, and this was the only way.

"Soon indeed."

--

Dressed finely in a beautiful blue dress, the shade exactly the same as her eyes, and a heavy but just as beautiful, jacket over her shoulders, Kaoru waited just inside the doorway, standing next to Shishio. He gripped her arm tightly, to ensure she didn't try to get away. After a few more minutes, a person walked up, "Everything is good to go." And, so, Shishio began to walk, and ended up having to practically drag the woman behind him. She made things far too difficult at times. She would just love the little lie he was going to confess to the world today.

Before entering, he whispered into her ear, "Act the happy young bride."

Shock lit up in her sapphire orbs, and anger contorted her face. However, it soon disappeared, as they were now on the balcony. Hoards of people stood in the crowd, eagerly awaiting his presence. The air was freezing, but the jacket kept her warm. '_What the fuck does he mean "HAPPY YOUNG BRIDE!"'_ Cheers rang out, Kaoru scanned the crowd. A flash of red caught her eyes, as she met with golden eyes. Immediately, a hood was pulled over his head, and he blended back into the crowd. '_He's here…_'

Shishio held up a hand for silence, "Everyone! Welcome to this glorious day! I have several things to announce!" Silence rang over the people, and the leader continued to speak into his microphone, "I would first of all, like to say, work with the United Nations is going well! The dealings with Iraq and the United States have been settled. Soldiers have finally been sent back home, and families are once again re-united!" More applause and cheering were let loose, as the people of Japan congratulated the success of countries not their own, "And now, as we speak, talk with North Korea is being established. We are going to be working on a Peace Treaty, which has so long been in need of. The cease fire with America will disappear and become an actual peace!" Again, cheering, "This is a wonderful thing! America, the most powerful nation in the world, is a great key in influencing world peace. And finally, all of the countries are coming to agreements on managing things. We have finally found the much suspected nuclear warheads, and they have been destroyed. Everyone is working hard to make things run smoothly so that we can take action as soon as possible.

"I am greatly saddened by the sudden Ebola epidemics running ramped in the third world countries. It is a shame to be loosing so many people that we had so much hope in helping." '_Ignore him, ignore him, ignore him._' "I really wish that there is something we could do about it, but there is no cure for the virus. Even, my darling Kaoru-sama is unable to help with the Ebola. The only thing, she is unable to stop." He wrapped his strong arms around her, as if pitying her. '_The only thing I am unable to stop because I am the fucking cause_.' The crowd was silent, as they awaited his next words.

"On a happier note, I have wonderful news! Kamiya Kaoru-sama, and I, were wed a fort-night ago!" The crowd let out a gasp of surprise, and then began to applause. Kaoru felt herself want to be sick. It was a lie, of course, but the fact that he was making it known, made her feel like puking on his fine tailored suit. The girl felt a sudden urge of strength come forth from her body, and she escaped the embrace he held over her. Without looking back, she ran through the door, and into the building, not caring who saw her. She made it into a bathroom just in time, as she pulled up the seat on the toilet and crumbled to the floor, emptying the contents of her stomach into its bowl.

"He was there… he would have heard it! Why can't I let him know all of that is a lie!" Her body trembled, not from cold, but from fear. Fear that he would not come back for her. Fear that he would believe the falsities and that she would never feel his warm embrace again.

"_Come now, do you really think that he wouldn't believe it?" _

_Looking up, Kaoru was in a world of mist. She saw Polaris in front of her, the black eyes penetrating through the light fog, "You say that… but do you think he would?" _

_The alter ego stared around in the empty space, then looked back, "I dunno my darling Kaoru… it is up to you to decide whether or not he believed it." Walking forward, the woman caressed Kaoru's chin, "Why don't I go do a little searching around for you?"_

"_No. I want to be the one to talk to him when we meet again. You just do your fucking job when you are told to." Polaris looked a little startled at the harsh words, but soon enough, the world faded, and Kaoru was back in the bathroom once again. _

--

KUKUKU…GETTING CLOSE TO 100 REVIEWS… WHO WANTS TO BE HONORED WITH IT?

Alright, umm… let us just say, I AM SOOO SORRY you guys. I got a bad case of writers block halfway through this. Even finishing it was hell. But now that I have the next part started, chapter fifteen should be much easier to write. I drew in some politics here. And the little North Korea fact is something I learned in world history last year. SEE MS. KELLOGG, I AM USING WHAT I LEARNED! There was never a peace treaty with the US and Korea, just a cease fire. What do you think of developments? Gag… I really do hate Shishio, and I am beginning to really hate Polaris, but that makes things more fun. I will try to get the next chapter up before Halloween okay? I am going to work on Happiness in Slavery, and maybe that other story I was doubling in writing. Six weeks and I return to America. … great but not. And right now my toes are fucking freezing. Yeah, it is cold at night here.

Date Finished: October 9, 2005


	15. author notice

Author's note:

SORRY! I don't mean to break anyone's hearts... but this is not a chapter!

Some people did not get the note that I left in my profile, that I have all stories on hold until the end of November, so I am putting this in here.. I move back to home next week, and I am doing NaNoWriMo. I will begin writing again at the beginning of December! I will try and get everything updated within the first two weeks of the month.

IF YOU WISH TO KNOW ABOUT ANYTHING GOING ON, NEWS OF STORIES, OR REVIEW RESPONSES, LOOK AT MY PROFILE. I UPDATE THAT BI-WEEKLY. (or i try)

-Hotaru


	16. chapter 15

Date started: November 29, 2005

Well, I am back home, moved in, and of course, returned to the hellhole called school. I failed NaNoWriMo again, but that is ok. I now have two original characters that I am madly in love with (mafuyuhotaru. if you want to see pictures of Allen and Mika. Yes, I draw!). Anyway, sorry for the delay. Things are going up again. My biggest grammatical errors: 'to' and 'too.' Do enjoy, the next chapter of Butterfly Kisses.

--

Butterfly Kisses

By: Hotaru

Rating: R; for language, gore, and some adult material

Standard Disclaimer:

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin in any way whatsoever. I do, however, own any characters that I may introduce as my own, and this plot line. If I catch you stealing it, you grovel at my feet and beg forgiveness, or die.

--

"_Kamiya Kaoru-sama and I were wed a fort-night ago!" _The words kept ringing throughout his mind, as he continued to stand there in the dispersing crowd. He had looked right at Kaoru when the words were said. The man had seen her pale, and then obviously use some strength to escape the bastard's grasp, thus escaping to the inside. Kenshin did not know what to think; whether he should believe it, or not. He knew that Shishio would do anything without consideration of others, and marrying Kaoru would be something the man would most gladly do. But, Kaoru would never have allowed it. She loved him, the red head, didn't she? Yet… was her love for him enough to prevent a matrimonial bond?

The assassin finally came to his senses, and realized there were very few people left. He too decided to leave. Before turning around, however, he saw Shishio staring hard at him through a window, with a very smug look on his face. That enraged the Hitokiri, and that was when he knew it was time to put the plan in action. It would be done within a week. The man did not care whether or not the rooster head thought everything was perfect in the plan. He had to get Kaoru away from the bastard. Whether or not they were really wed.

--

"WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING!" Kaoru yelled at her captor. By now, she was no longer sick. She was extremely pissed off. The man had found her in the bathroom, and forced her to get up, and half dragged her down the hall into his room, "There is no way in hell that I would ever marry you!"

Shishio was staring at her amused. He burst out in laughter, "We are not married you whore. I intend on it, one day, but you are still too feisty to be a wife for me. You have yet to submit." He trailed a finger down one of her arms. Kaoru pulled away. He continued, "You don't seriously think I didn't know he was there? I knew he would be. If he really loves you that much, the man will attempt to get you back anyway. Of course, he won't succeed, but I will get some form of respect for him before I kill him."

Kaoru's blue eyes darkened in anger. He had taken things way too far. It was about time that she take things into her own hands. She closed her eyes, and summoned forth some of her power. Her eyes opened silver and she stood up from where she had been on the floor, "It is time you die!" She began to gather up her energy. The girl felt everything surge up within her, ready to burst forth in one huge force, thus killing the man once in for all.

She released the energy, but what happened, was the least expected. It was let out, heading straight towards a smiling Shishio, but rather, it rebounded, attacking her, "AAAH!" She was fallen to the ground, as she cried out in pain. The girl clutched her arms close to herself, as she tried to get rid of the power that could, at any moment, crush her. And then, it all stopped.

--

"Tonight." Those were the words that escaped the assassin's lips when he entered the room that Sanosuke was waiting in. The taller man had his eyes slightly narrowed, "Are you sure? The plan still has its faults…"

Rather, Kenshin sent him a death glare, "I saw her today. We are getting her out of there. I don't give a shit how it happens." The man faced the other, "I don't know why the hell you have been making us hold back and wait. It is almost as if you don't _want_ Kaoru to come back to us. As though you would rather have her be with him!"

The outburst was a first. Something that had not happened before, and Sano seemed a bit taken aback by the red head's actions, "Woah man, if it was that hard, you should have said something."

"That hard!" Kenshin was now challenging Sano, "You know nothing of it. Tonight." He turned to leave, his hand gripping his sword, but before he could leave, the spiky haired man gripped his shoulder, "I know what it is like to be separated from a loved one. I went six months without being able to see Megumi. And though the situations may be different, the feelings of loss are just the same." Kenshin paused, but then left the room. Something had gone wrong, and he knew it.

--

YOU LOVE ME RIGHT?

OH GOD. This chapter is REALLY REALLY REALLY lame. I have been lame of late, and I suppose it is taking its affect on this chapter. Gross. BUT, I have it out of the way, and next chapter is going to be so much fun. I left you guys with a cliffhanger for Kaoru. What the fuck happened?

Sorry it is really short too. I wont make lame excuses, because excuses are, well, excuses. Anyway, at least you guys know I have not deserted the story. School is hell right now, trying to catch up in Algebra II, but that is ok. I SHALL LIVE. XDD

Hotaru

Date finished: December 1, 2005


	17. chapter 16

Date Started: December 27, 2005

I just realized today is my half birthday, AND it is the ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of this story. So, I am now sixteen and a half years old, and have been writing this story for one year. YEY. I will be leaving for a ski trip in about an hour. So I will be writing what I can in this hour of time, and then finish when I get back home. WHY AM I GROUNDED? I really need my internet access. My poor friends on gaia... I miss the forum. I am not addicted or anything to gaiaonline, but I do participate profuselly in the Fruits Basket thread, and provide clips of scans of recent furuba volumes. I should have my internet access back soon. Hopefully when I get back home. I also want to email my host sister and wish her happy new year and a merry christmas. I feel bad, because she probably emailed me and since she has no reply back yet... she must wonder what happened to me. Sigh... you can read more of my complaints to lack of internet at the end of this very exciting chapter sixteen of Butterfly Kisses. Enjoy.

--

Butterfly Kisses

By: Hotaru

Rating: R; for language, gore, and some adult material

Standard Disclaimer:

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin in any way whatsoever. I do, however, own any characters that I may introduce as my own, and this plot line. If I catch you stealing it, you grovel at my feet and beg forgiveness, or die.

--

_"What happened?" Kaoru brought her head up from its lowered position. She was sitting in a very familiar place. The place where she had first met Polaris. The VERY first time, those years ago, the star, Polaris. It was a very airy place, with nothing breaking the horizon. Rather than green, the grass was all silver with a bluish tint as it reflected off of a light, whose source was unseen. Instead of blue, the sky was a beautiful pale yellow. A cool wind blew gently against her face, and blew her raven hair around. Kaoru stood up, ready for anything. She knew that Polaris was here. It was just a matter of time before the powerful being showed herself. The girl looked here and there, knowing that there was no place to hide here. Not even in the grass, for it was not long enough to conceal even a very small animal. She began walking, knowing that sitting there would accomplish nothing. The girl needed to find Polaris, and figure out what had happened. She didn't remember, except that she had been dragged into Shishio's room, and roughly tossed to the ground. Everything else was merely a blur. _

_Kaoru continued walking at a very slow pace. She didn't need to be caught off guard. The young woman noticed she was walking towards a building. 'Where did that come from?' She thought to herself, 'I could have sworn there was nothing there a second ago...' She shook her head in frustration. Only an idiot could not realize that since it had appeared out of nowhere, she was obviously supposed to go there. 'In addition,' she reasoned, 'Anything can and will happen here.' And so, Kaoru hastened her pace, and made her way to the small building that looked like a humble house._

_When she reached the door, she found it partially open. Kaoru pushed it open with her small hand, and stepped in, expecting Polaris to be there. And she was. Her alter-ego was facing away from her, staring out a small window, long hair cascading down her bare back. The blue eyed girl waited a few moments, expecting Polaris to turn around and begin to explain. Instead, Kaoru was the first to speak, "Care to explain what happened back there?" Polaris seemed not to hear, and only kept her face staring out the window, with those cold, black eyes of hers. This seemed to annoy her, and Kaoru walked across the small room and made to shake Polaris's shoulders. What happened, was another unexpected thing. Shocks of power surged through Kaoru's hands and into her body, causing her lithe body to writhe in pain. Immediately, Kaoru released her grasp, and took several steps backward, "What the hell!" The blue eyes were filled with fury._

_Finally, Polaris turned around. The pale flesh seemed to glow, the black eyes radiate, with nothing but power. Kaoru cowered a little, but then remembered that she could not allow Polaris to see any fear within herself. And then, the powerful one started to laugh. The woman just laughed and laughed, as though filled with great amusement. After a few minutes, Kaoru grew extremely bored with the laughter, and simply stared at Polaris as though she were crazy, "And what might you, my eccentric alter-ego, find so amusing?" The sarcastic words somewhat brought Polaris out of her maniacic state._

_"What do I find funny?" Polaris looked with a blank look, "Why, it's you, Kaoru." The thinly clothed figure walked to the window again, "You are putting up a much stronger fight than you did when you were in college. And, you seem to be oblivious to the fact that no matter how hard you do fight me, you won't be able to win." She turned her head back, staring down at Kaoru who was still sitting on the ground, "It was easy. Easy to make you believe that I would help you kill the bastard."_

_"WHY!" The words flew out of Kaoru's mouth. The girl stood up quite pissed off, "What happened to your hatred for Shishio! You were the one who hated him more than I." The sapphire orbs darkened as her anger deepened, "You used to be filled with concern for my well-being, and now it seems as though you want me dead and gone. You wanted revenge against Shishio for what he did to us those years ago, for him wanting to abuse our power. And now, it seems as though you rather him stay alive!" Polaris was chuckling again, keeping a hand over her mouth. The lightweight robe moving loosely over her shoulders. Turning around, Polaris again studied Kaoru, "You fool. You gullible fool." The other's blue eyes widened in confusion, "I DESPISE him." It then dawned on Kaoru. Polaris had planned it from the start. Polaris's wanting revenge on Shishio for "the harm he had done" had been merely an act. The alter-ego wanted Shishio dead alright, but Polaris would kill Shishio by her own means. She would use Shishio until he was no longer needed, "Besides, he has our blood mixed in with his, thanks to your wounding him."_

_Kaoru was silent, fists balled up. Her bangs hid her eyes from sight, as she began to speak, "You prevented my killing him... What do I have to do to get rid of you?" Polaris came forward, and stuck a hand underneath her chin, forcing Kaoru to look up, "Simple." And then, her body began to tremble, as Kaoru's body slumped to the floor. The girl's voice screamed protest in her mind, but her body was completely useless, and all she could do was stare up at Polaris's happy face with rage, "You go to sleep. And then you will never have to see me again." And then the world went black._

--

"Himura Kenshin, you called for us." The perky, but serious voice, of Misao said. She was standing there with her usual braid and her dark ninja clothes, with her leader, Aoshi, towering behind her. The two were standing in front of the red head in a room lit by a single light bulb. There was a table with a few chairs, but no one sat in them, "We brought the best of our group. The Oniwabanshuu await your command." The golden eyes looked up at the two, and nodded, "Tonight, the plan will be put in action. There is no more time to wait." He turned towards the table, and was looking at the screen of a laptop that had been sitting there. The assassin pointed a calloused finger at the screen, "These are the blueprints for Shishio's mansion. I want to get in there with as little bloodshed as possible. The less we have to kill, the less likely we will be caught."

Misao had walked up beside the red head, and was staring at the bright screen, illuminating her green eyes. She pointed at the small door that was set in one of the walls of the wall that surrounded the estate, "That looks like a good place to get in. I realize we would probably have a better chance getting in by the roofs and windows, but this way might be less noticeable, as you want it, it is supposed to be a bright night tonight." Aoshi was standing, stony as ever, as he watched his young ninja start to form the entry plan with his old companion. He was thinking back to when he and Kenshin had once fought to get rid of Shishio before. It had nearly failed. If the building had not of caught fire, the two would most likely be dead. But now, there was a huge advantage. The Hitokiri Battousai had the final technique of the Hitenmitsurugi mastered, and he had a passion that stirred him. A passion that had not been there before, "...And then we can get into the building through the kitchen staff door."

'_Good, my Misao, smart as always._' The plan had, after all, not been ultimately complete. This was the final part of it that had to be decided. How to get in. Tonight would be the night that Shishio was killed once and for all, '_No messing up this time. Not like before._' They would get back Kenshin's precious Kaoru, and then finish off the one who would otherwise have destroyed the world. Aoshi continued to watch Misao as she amiably helped point out glitches and flaws in the plan. Inwardly, the leader of the Oniwabanshuu smiled proudly. Someone came up behind him, and Aoshi reached a hand down for his weapon. But he need not have worried, as the voice of Sanosuke broke into the room, "We have about an hour before dark. We should get going or who knows how long it would take to get there." His voice was somewhat sarcastic in the last remark, and Kenshin sent a death glare to the spikey haired man. An almost identical spikey head popped out behind Sano, and the brown eyes looked about the room, "What about me? I am coming right?"

All of the adults silently looked at each other, eye to eye. Misao just looked at everyone, knowing she would have no say in the matter. Kenshin looked at Yahiko, "Look, we need someone to stay here to keep an eye out for anything strange. We don't want you getting killed. If we got Kaoru back, and she found out that we had somehow got you killed, she would most likely never smile again." Yahiko's face fell a little, and then he eyes fired up, "How about I keep watch on the security cameras or something. And then I could let you know if someone is coming." The look in his eyes seemed to be begging them to allow the teenager to somehow play a role in the rescue plan. He still felt he was the responsible one for Kaoru's being taken. Kenshin simply gave a nod of approval, and then he turned back to the computer screen.

"Kenshin?" Sano's voice said as he remained in the doorway. The assassin shouted in annoyance, "WHAT!" Everyone took in a breath, but the rooster thought nothing of it, "Don't you think we should be going?" The other slammed his fist on the table, and then turned around leaving the room, "Get the car!" He barked out, and then stormed down the hall. Sanosuke waited a moment, and then started laughing, "Oh man, that Kenshin is a piece of work." He turned to Yahiko, "Go find Hiko. He will tell you what to do ok?" The teen nodded, and headed down the hall in the opposite direction the assassin had gone. Once gone, Sanosuke told Aoshi, "You might as well get your group together. We will meet where we earlier discussed. See you there!" And Sanosuke then walked the way the Hitokiri Battousai had gone, whistling a tune.

--

He stared down at the still figure that still lay on the floor. The girl had not woken up since she had been knocked out by her own power. Shishio's beautiful one. He had left her there in a heap on the floor after she had attempted to kill him, and now, seeing her limp form on the floor, he decided to place her on the bed. As he took up her body in his now strong arms, he noticed that she was cold as ice. Having placed Kaoru on the soft bed, he stared at her in her deep sleep. It was broken soon enough, however, as she finally began to stir. She seemed to be mumbling something about "it took," "long enough," and some other un-recognizable phrases. She placed one hand on her forehead under her black bangs, and then seemed to realize that there was another one in the room.

Coal, black eyes stared up at Shishio. Kaoru was not the one sitting on the bed. It was Polaris, in complete control of Kamiya Kaoru's body. She crossed her arms over her chest, "Well, well, well, what have we got here?" She was smirking smartly, "I finally got the little brat to leave me alone, and I have the psycho bastard standing in front of me." Shishio was a little shocked at what was in front of him. He had never expected Polaris to completely manifest, not without Kaoru's consent. The leader of Japan stared a few moments at Polaris, and then finally got his act together, "And I have the sacred star sitting in front of me. What is it that you want?" He paused, "I know that Kaoru would never, of her own free will, let you out again as a whole." The dark eyes grew merry, "Well you see, I put her to sleep for good. She won't wake up unless I want her to." The powerful girl thought, "I want... to share your rule." And as an afterthought, '_And then to kill you._'

A look of great pleasure grew on Shishio's close to flawless features, "And how do I know you won't up and kill me?" He leaned over onto the bed, placing his arms around the sitting figure of Polaris, "Let's just say you won't be very easy to kill with my powers..." She leaned closer to him, "You have a small amount of my blood in you, you know." The man looked a tad bit confused, "The dagger wound." A finely shaped eyebrow raised slightly, and then Polaris brought up a hand, and used a bit of power to force him back into a wall. The girl stood up straight and stretched her arms out a little, "It's been so long since I have been able to roam free for longer than ten minutes!" She untied the long locks of hair from their tie; they fell down to her waist. She walked towards the door, and with a final thought turned, "And, you may want to reconsider that little marriage joke. That is just sick." Polaris opened the door and walked into the doorway, finally releasing Shishio from the wall.

--

MERRY XMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR. I LOVE YOU, DO YOU LOVE ME? REVIEW PLEASE!

And so, things are finally beginning to fall into place. The end of this tale is near. Yes, sadly it is. I just need to have a few unexpected things to happen and then there will be "THE END" at the bottom of the page. Maybe two chapters more. I have yet to decide exactly how the ending will go. I have a basic idea, but I still need to decide. In the next chapter, the plan will go into action. Polaris will...well, we need to see what happens there. She is the "sacred star?" What significance does that hold? Will Kaoru be able to come back? Find out next chapter.

I got ungrounded off of the internet! So, I get to upload this in the morning at school or something. I snowboarded and I must say, it is so much more fun than skiing is. But that is my opinion. I did a bunch of blacks at the end of the trip too. So yay! I hit 100+ reviews! Thank you so much guys for putting up with my complaints. I go back to school tomorrow, and then whatever else.

Hotaru

Date finished: January 2, 2006


	18. chapter 17

Date started: February 8, 2006

School is unbelievably cruel to me. Last week I went crazy with my English paper. But, I'm back! I gave a double dose of Happiness in Slavery to people, so that is partially why this is so late in being started. I hope you guys will enjoy these last few chapters of Butterfly Kisses. Yes, the last few. Because I am finally going to finish it, no ifs, ands, or buts. It is about time that I finish one of my stories. This will be the first I ever finish. Enjoy chapter 17.

--

Butterfly Kisses

By: Hotaru

Rating: R; for language, gore, and some adult material

Standard Disclaimer:

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin in any way whatsoever. I do, however, own any characters that I may introduce as my own, and this plot line. If I catch you stealing it, you grovel at my feet and beg forgiveness, or die.

--

Dark finally fell, as the last few rays of the sun sank below the horizon. Kenshin and Sanosuke walked through the quiet restaurant they had entered, and walked towards a small door. They both removed their shoes, setting them down next to several other pair, and entered a room on their knees. The two were greeted by the faces of Misao, Aoshi, and another. The three nodded their acknowledgment, and Misao promptly introduced the third person, "Himura-san, Sanosuke-san, this is Beshimi-san." The two studied the strange looking one, "He is one of the most trustworthy of all the Oniwabanshuu followers. He will do well in this mission." Everyone nodded once again, and then the two men sat down with the group of ninja.

Glancing at a watch, Kenshin said in his cool voice, "In five minutes, Aoshi and Misao will leave, making their way to the estate on foot. It is a short walk from here, as all of you know." He paused a moment, and then continued, "Two minutes later, Beshimi, you will follow. If you suspect anyone following them, take him out. I don't want the two to use any weapons until they are off the streets and inside the estate," His gaze was now upon the red head opposite, "I am sure you will have no problem." Shifting his eyes so that he was looking at Sanosuke, "You and I will leave at the same time as Beshimi, but we will take our own way to the estate. Within thirty minutes, all of us, with the exception of Beshimi, will be inside. Beshimi will keep his eye out. We don't need any cops." He looked at his watch again, "Two minutes."

--

Polaris sat on a short stool in front of a mirror. Her black eyes stared at herself in triumph, as she ran a brush through her long, dark hair, "Haha. The little fool. I am finally able to do what I want. Humans are idiots to think that they could ever overcome me." She set the brush down on the little table that was just below the bottom edge of the mirror. Silently, she took to braiding it. The woman had locked the door, refusing to allow anyone in. As she tied a black ribbon at the end of the long braid, she stood up and walked over to the mahogony wardrobe. Opening it, Polaris ran her eyes over the items. She didn't want any of the garments of the modern days. The celestial one wanted a kimono. The girl reasoned the bastard wouldn't give that Kaoru a wardrobe such as this, without any traditional clothes.

At long last, she found one. It seemed to suit her very well. It was a lovely black silk, with white cherry blossoms trimming the long sleeves; the obi white with black colored ones. Pulling it out of the closet, she used some power to clothe it on her body, rather than go through the troublesome experience of putting it on herself. "Oh... I long to see the look on his face when he realizes that his only purpose was to be used." She chuckled softly. She had put on the white socks onto her tiny feet, and then went to the door. Taking a quick glance at the grandfather clock that stood in a corner that read 8 P.M., and then she opened the door.

--

Shishio was surprised when his door was opened. In the doorway stood a very lovely looking Polaris. She looked absolutely stunning in her traditional outfit, as her hair was resting over one of her shoulders in a braid. She walked in without waiting for any request to enter, "I want to talk with you on certain issues." The girl sat down with a very cold air.

"Did you seriously think to use my power as you pleased?" She sounded angry, but this was a very dangerous angry. She lifted one of her slender hands and a small ball of blue fire formed and floated there. Fear began to build up in his eyes. Polaris knew that the leader's greatest fear was fire. Her black eyes looked at him hard, and then she aimed the fire for the empty fireplace to the left. He flinched slightly. The girl stood up and walked over to him. She wrapped two arms around him from behind, her cold hands resting on his chest. She leaned forward, and her pale pink lips whispered into his ear, "Watch yourself now. I could kill you at any moment with that trick of mine. That fire is cold as ice."

Shishio had begun to notice it. The room was no longer warm. It was steadily lowering in temperature. He stared at the flames with his fearful eyes. She continued, her breath just as cold as her hands, "This is a new trick I conjured, and I know you would just love to be the first that I try it on. So, don't do anything foolish."

The man stuttered out, "B-but you said that it wouldn't be easy to kill me with your power."

Polaris laughed, and stood up straight, removing her cold presence from his body, "I said it wouldn't be easy. I never said I couldn't." She walked in front of him and stared down, "I won't be your silly puppet. You will be mine. You will do as I tell you until I no longer need you, Lord Shishio."

--

Misao crouched in one dark corner of the kitchen. She knew that her Aoshi was hidden in another area of the same room. She thought back to the young woman they were supposed to rescue tonight. She had seen the girl once or twice, when she had been assigned to work at that clinic. The blue eyed one had always come to the place injured in some way. Yet, the girl had always left all the stronger, and just as pretty. Misao didn't like seeing that girl hurt, and hoped that this time around, she would not suffer any of the scarring gashes that she seemed to be in a habit of recieiving.

She heard the ticking of a clock, and wondering what time it was, poked her head around a corner. Not seeing it, the young ninja crossed her arms over her chest slightly annoyed. Kenshin and Sanosuke were being really slow. The two ninja had been stuck in the place for at least half an hour. No doubt it was already nine.

The green eyed ninja heard a door very quietly open. She knew that if she weren't anticipating it, or trained as she was, she would not have heard it. Again, her head turned around the corner, and she was relieved to see the two that she had been so impatiently waiting for. She gave them a look of, 'About time,' and then stood up and walked towards the two men. Aoshi followed her, and the four were now standing in the middle of the kitchen, "Get down," Kenshin quietly whispered. They all followed suit, and crouched down on their knees below a table.

"I saw a light at the end of the second floor west wing. I have a feeling that is where the two are. Let's all head there. Don't allow yourself to be seen. I have no doubt the guards are about. Everyone nodded in unison, and then made their own separate ways to get to the second floor.

--

It had taken very little to have this one time powerful man, to become a cowering one. Polaris stared at him in high amusement. They were both sitting. Shishio was fidgeting with his hands. He of course, would not admit to being afraid, but it was written all over him. She felt very accomplished, as she lifted her eyes up and stared out the window to see the lights of the world's largest metropolis.

Something seemed to be creeping up on her. She couldn't tell what. It felt as though she were being watched. Her sharp ears heard somethng slide out of something else, and then a quick slash. There was what sounded like the slump of a body, and then, another slash as something cut through the doors. Both Shishio and herself stood up and turned around to see the doorway open, the one time doors now splintered on the ground. A silent gasp escaped her lips, as she saw fiery red hair and tawney golden eyes. Polaris saw him step over the pieces of wood and into the room. At the sight of her, he seemed to find relief, and then he stared at Shishio.

The man had not noticed yet. This was amusing, "Shishio, I have come to take back something dear that you took." She heard a gunshot, a bullet reflect off of something metal, and then another body slump. Not too long after that, another figure came into the room. This one had spikey black hair. Polaris had never met him, but the sense of familiarity gave her reason that Kaoru had.

"I'm sorry, assassin, but the one you knew is gone." Polaris finally said. The gold eyes narrowed, and Kenshin took a few steps forward to study her closely. Realization dawned, and his eyes widened, "NO! She's not gone!"

Polaris laughed softly, and answered, "I believe you to be mistaken. Your beloved Kaoru has gone off to sleep. She will never come back." Two others had now shown up, "Is that the rest of your group? I hope so, because none of you will leave this place, none of you, unless you are dead." She conjured up her blue flames, and they now burned coldly in the doorway, making escape impossible.

--

_Kaoru was dreaming a very wonderful dream, although she knew it as reality. She was with Kenshin. They had just destroyed Shishio. He had come to her prison of a home, and found her with Shishio in his room. The red head had taken barely any time to kill the monster, and he came to her. They were sitting together on the ground, holding each other. Her tears of happiness had dried up, and now, she asked, "Where's Yahiko?"_

_A look of confusion came into his golden eyes, "Yahiko? Shishio killed him in the parking garage, remember?"_

_Kaoru shook her head, "No. He wasn't." She looked at the man she was close to carefully, "What are you talking about? He is with you."_

_Something was beginning to pull Kaoru. Something wasn't right. _

_"You must get up Kaoru..."_

_Kaoru continued to stare at her love, as he suddenly began to fade away, as did the rest of her surroundings. She was back on the star of Polaris. What surprised her the most, was that she was met by someone different from Polaris. This person was alike in apppearance, but her eyes were different. They were blue, very much like her own, "What..."_

_The other one replied, "Kaoru, I am you, and I am not. I am a counterpart of the Polaris who took over your body, and I am also a part of your soul. She has been taken over by her hatred for the one who defiled you and abused your powers. It has consumed her. I have been asleep, just as you have. The only problem is, that current circumstances are not good. I will help you completely awaken. And when it is complete, I will deal with Polaris, and put her away for good. The only thing is this: Once I do that, you will never be able to use your celestial powers again. For I too, will go away, and only you will be left."_

_The wind softly blew the silver grass about, and Kaoru looked at the one in front of her, "I understand. Polaris has done far to much damage, and I would never want her to be able to do that again. I just want things to be good again. I want to be able to see the ones I love, without worry of being hunted down and abused. Do it." _

--

Polaris was slowly allowing her freezing flames to spread around the entire room, encircling all six of them. Kenshin shouted out in anger, "What have you done with her! Bring her back!"

"That is quite impossible, my dear red head. She has been silenced forever." She made the flames creep about two feet closer to everyone. The room was quickly getting cold, "This is quite convenient. I can kill all of you at once, including Shishio. It's the perfect opportunity. I will get what I want with everyone's death." A smug smile was resting on her lips. Her black eyes glinted with evil.

She asked, "Any last requests before I make you all freezed to death?"

Sanosuke shouted out, "What the fuck is your problem lady?"

Polaris turned her gaze to him, "Me? Have a problem? All I am doing is giving everyone what they deserve. Shishio because he defiled me and abused me. Kenshin because he loved her. You and the other two because they assisted him."

"That's your stupid reason?" Misao fiercely retorted. Her green eyes were ablaze, "What is so wrong with someone loving another? Why should Kenshin, and we, have to die because he loves Kaoru? Shishio loved her, but he abused that love. Kenshin's love for Kaoru is genuine. He would never harm her, and Kaoru loves him back."

Her black eyes narrowed, "His love? Genuine? Don't make me laugh. And Kaoru love him? She is gone, forever. Even if you tried, she could never come back." Those words seemed to infuriate the red head.

"If that is the case, and Kaoru is indeed forever gone, then die, bitch!" He unsheathed his sword and made for her with his godlike speed.

Polaris smiled, and icy flames surrounded everyone's bodies. Before they could stop the Battousai, his sword stabbed into her body, and then she fell to the ground, him going with her, as he tossed his sword aside, and the flames encircled him as well.

--

CLIFFHANGER GUYS! LEAVE ME A THOUGHT! I LOVE YOU ALL.

And at long last, the story is going to end. Next chapter is going to be the much anticipated last chapter. What will happen guys? Tell me what you think will happen. Nothing any of you say will change how I plan on it ending, but I want to know how you guys think it will end. Getting this chapter written has really been annoying. I have been trying to figure out how to place everything. But I got it. Next chapter will be very easy for me to write, actually, because I know how it will end. So, I hope you enjoyed reading it so far, and I hope you guys don't kill me with the cliffhanger.

-Hotaru

Date finished: February 18, 2006


	19. chapter 18

Date started: March 15, 2006

This is it. The last chapter of Butterfly Kisses. I hope you guys enjoy it. I am on spring break now, so I have time for this chapter. Chapter 18.

--

Butterfly Kisses

By: Hotaru

Rating: R; for language, gore, and some adult material

Standard Disclaimer:

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin in any way whatsoever. I do, however, own any characters that I may introduce as my own, and this plot line. If I catch you stealing it, you grovel at my feet and beg forgiveness, or die.

--

_"If that is the case, and Kaoru is indeed forever gone, then die, bitch!" He unsheathed his sword and made for her with his godlike speed._

_Polaris smiled, and icy flames surrounded everyone's bodies. Before they could stop the Battousai, his sword stabbed into her body, and then she fell to the ground, him going with her, as he tossed his sword aside, and the flames encircled him as well. _

--

The flames that encased his body felt cool against his skin. They no longer held the freezing temperatures they had moments before. Battousai felt the warm body of Polaris up against his, as he lay on top of her. He dared not to look at the woman, the one whom he had injured with his sword. Instead, he looked around to try and see what had happened to the others. The sight that met his eyes was astonishing. The blue of the fire was all around him, and extended into nothingness. He saw the ninja off to one side standing fully conscious. Turning his head another direction, the gold eyes noticed Sanosuke, and Shishio as well, wide awake. '_This isn't right... we are all supposed to be dead._'

That was when he decided to look at the body of his love. He saw that her eyes were closed, and a few black tresses fell across her pale skin. He softly cried out to her, "Kaoru..." A calloused hand brushed the hair out of her face, "What have I done?" He felt the blood coming from her side against his body. Glancing down at the wound, he was horrified at his own work. He saw her chest rising slowly. She was still alive, but not for much longer. Her face was already white as a ghost. She let out another soft breath. He knelt closer to her; his face was barely an inch from the girl's.

He grasped her around the shoulders, and held her close to him. A tear fell down his cheek onto hers. The first tears he had cried in years. During the moment he had plunged his sword through her body, it seemed as though time itself had frozen. He saw Polaris's eyes go wide in shock, and then turn a clear blue. It was already to late, as he realized what was happening.

"Please don't go," He whispered. He kissed her lightly on the forehead, one cheek, and then the other. He hadn't realized that someone had come up behind him as he was in his distraught state. Finally, his lips met the deathly cold ones of the one he loved. A hand placed itself upon his shoulder, startling the seasoned assassin.

A calming voice said, "Do not worry Kenshin. All will be well." The man froze, and then slowly turned his head. It was her. No, someone who looked exactly like her. A gentle smile was upon her face, "Polaris is gone. I have taken care of that. Kaoru should be fine in the end." The red head was shocked.

"But... but her body is, her body has been..."

"Shh," She comforted, "The wound shall be healed, for I can stop the bleeding. But it will be up to her in the end whether or not she will wake up. And as a small comfort, I will give a gift to the world. Then, I shall be gone."

At that moment, a strong wind blew up. The woman who looked so like Kaoru brought her hands together in front of her as the wind blew her hair about. It continued to grow stronger, as Kenshin merely stared in awe. Lightning struck the figure, and then all was still. The blue flame world disappeared, and everyone was back in the library of Shishio's mansion.

Kenshin looked down at Kaoru's body. Her face looked a little more lifelike than moments earlier, but she was out cold. He caressed her face with one hand, as he continued to sit there by her side. He failed to notice that Shishio was trying to escape the room, or that Aoshi and Misao were going to stop him. The assassin did not care to realize that Sanosuke was walking towards him, his face pale with fear. All that the man cared about, at the moment, was Kaoru.

--

Shishio sat tied up to a chair in a small room. He was seething in fury. The red haired brat had finally got him. There was no doubt in his mind that the assassin would have him killed. Not only that, but the empire the man had been so close to having, was now going to lie in ruins. It would all fall apart and the world would crumble. Polaris and her powers were now gone. The manslayer had seen to that matter.

The man twisted in his bonds in a futile attempt to try and escape. Even if he did get untied, he wouldn't be able to leave the room. All he could do was wait. Something the ex-leader was loath to do.

--

"Why haven't you killed him yet?"

Sano's voice brought Kenshin out of his thoughts. The shorter man turned away from the fire, "I don't know. I won't do anything to him until she wakes up." A small flame awakened in his eyes, "I want him to see that she lives, and that he has lost once and for all. Then, maybe then, I will kill him."

The group had taken refuge in the huge mansion that Shishio was now a prisoner in. Kaoru had been rushed to a hospital the night before. Several hours later, a doctor had told Kenshin that she had suffered severe blood loss, but the treatment given to the wound had been what saved her life. All they had to do now was hope that the girl would wake up from the coma she was in.

The tall fighter tried to talk to the red head, "There are reports of healthy foods randomly growing in third world countries. That many of the sick are being healed."

"I'll be back." The assassin grabbed his coat, ignoring the words, "I'm going to see her. Don't give Shishio any food. Make sure Yahiko doesn't know I've gone to see her. Keep the boy here, and out of harms way."

--

Kenshin paid the taxi driver and exited the vehicle. He stepped up to the huge hospital that was the best in the metropolis. A small wind blew as he went up the steps that led to the main entrance. After entering the doors, he walked up to the front desk, "I would like to know the room number of Kamiya Kaoru." His voice was steely. The woman sitting seemed a little startled, but curtly replied, "I'm sorry sir, but visiting hours are-"

"I don't care!" The assassin cut her off, "I need to see her." The secretary's eyes widened slightly, but then said, "If you are related..."

"I'm her boyfriend." It was the quickest thing he could come up with. And in its own way, it was true.

She didn't buy it, "I'm sorry, but Kamiya-san is engaged to the nations leader if you haven't noticed yet. Unless she were in an affair, which I highly doubt-"

"She was kidnapped by him, and used-" Kenshin seemed to realize what he was saying, and finally said, "Just let me see her." The lady seemed to sense the desperation in him, and finally agreed. After a moment of typing, she said, "She is in room 1043." Without a second glance to the woman, he headed for the elevator. He was growing very impatient, as the thing seemed to crawl up to the tenth floor. At long last, he heard the little bell, and the doors opened.

The assassin stepped out, and into the hallway. It was very quiet. The halls were dimly lit, creating a peaceful atmosphere. He began walking down the hall and looking at the room numbers. He spoke softly to himself, "35, 39, 41, 43." He stopped in front of the door that was cracked open. He had a moment of hesitation, and then softly pushed open the door.

--

Kaoru had remained on the star when the counterpart of Polaris had disappeared. She had felt a searing pain in her side, but it had faded away after a few minutes, as if it had never been there. The girl had not returned to her body. She was at a loss of what she should do, for she did not know how to return. Ever since then, she had wandered around the silvery plains of the sacred star, not knowing where to go.

She spotted a familiar structure, and walked towards it. Upon reaching the doorway, Kaoru sat herself on the ground, and pulled her bare legs up to her chest. She rested her forehead upon her knees, and she became overwhelmed. '_The lady said I would be taken back! That I would be able to see him, and that Shishio would be taken care of..._' Silent tears began to fall down her cheeks.

"_Kaoru..._"

Her blue eyes opened wide at hearing her name. Bringing her head up, she expected to see someone, but didn't, "Where are you?"

--

Kenshin stood beside the hospital bed that the petite girl lay in. She had an IV in one arm. Her hair was in a braid that fell over one shoulder. She looked angelic in that bed, "Kaoru..." His golden eyes were sad, as was his voice. The man sat on the side of the bed, looking down at her, "I need you... I need you to wake up and be with me. If you aren't here, the blood lust will consume me. I won't be able to live."

--

She heard the words of need. The voice she was hearing was so familiar, "Kenshin!" Standing up from her spot on the ground, Kaoru turned around in circles, trying to see him. Her voice cried out, "I want to, but I don't know how!" The girl hoped that he could hear her. She could hear him, so why shouldn't he be able to hear her?

--

He could feel her presence. Her ki was awakening. Hope began to rise in the assassin. Kaoru was making a struggle, a struggle to awaken. Her ki had not surged in so long, and now that it was, "Kaoru! Fight! I'm here, right beside you." Urgent whispers of encouragement escaped his lips. He placed one hand on her cheek, caressing it, "What must I do to help you wake up?"

Again, he felt her life surge, unseen. Kenshin wanted to kiss her. Despite her unconscious state, he needed to do so. He inched his face closer to hers. Right before his lips brushed hers, he whispered, "I love you, Kaoru." And then, his lips touched hers.

--

The girl felt something very soft touch her lips. It was invisible, but it was so gentle. The touch reminded her of a time when a butterfly had graced itself in front of her, and its wings had brushed across her lips. She had always thought of it as a butterfly's kiss. Kaoru didn't see a butterfly this time, however. All she could do was feel it, "_Come back._" In an instant, Kaoru realized that she was indeed receiving a kiss, but this was not that of a butterfly. It was a kiss of a human, a kiss given by the one she belonged to. This butterfly kiss was given by a certain someone named Kenshin.

Her deep blue eyes closed, as she imagined him in front of her.

--

Kenshin barely noticed when an arm slithered around his waist. Not until the grip tightened, and the velvety lips underneath his moved, did he notice that Kaoru was responding to him. Opening his eyes, he was met by happy blue ones gazing up at him. It took another moment to realize what was happening.

"Kenshin." Her voice whispered, and she moved her arms around his neck, bringing him down on top of her, as she held him close, "I thought I would never see you again!" She clung to him as though letting go would cause him to disappear, "I was so alone there..."

His low voice whispered back, "You won't be alone. Never again." Kenshin's face lifted up to look her in the face, "That's a promise." Kaoru's blue eyes crinkled in joy, and she smiled, "Thank you." She pulled his head back down, and softly kissed him. It seemed not to be enough, and the red head deepened the kiss, as they relished in each other's presence, knowing that even if times were bad, they would be together, bound by the butterfly kisses that had awakened Kaoru's soul.

--

The End

--

PLEASE DONT KILL ME.

やった！！本当に嬉しいですよ！おわったよ！ -you need japanese to read it...

I don't know. I gave you guys a very sappy, happy ending. At first, I was going to be really mean and have Kaoru die, and then have Kenshin commit suicide and follow her in death... but I changed my mind. I purposely left the fate of Shishio hanging, so you can leave that to your imagination. You can do that for the future of the other characters too. Have your own fun with their fates.

I hope you guys like the way I ended this story. I have never finished a fanfic before in the history of my writing, so I was kind of troubled by how readers prefer endings to be. And so, with the ending of this story, I am going to publish another one very, very soon. I plan on continuing my other fics as well, especially my Sailor Moon one.

I would like to thank all of my reviewers, including the few flames I received. They were all greatly appreciated, and taken to heart. I plan on going back and doing serious amounts of editing in a few months. There are several things at the beginning of the story that don't make sense with the second half of the story. So, I need to fix the plot errors. And now, I say farewell to those who only read Butterfly Kisses out of my works. I hope you guys go read my other stories, if you haven't already, and to see you soon!

-Hotaru

Date finished: March 17, 2006


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